I Shot for the Sky
by Hannah Forever
Summary: This is the story of Audity, who moves to Fell's Church with her abusive dad. When girls start dying, and her father's killed right in front of her, she's adopted by a vampire who has a thing for young girls. "Hello, Little Blackbird. Be there for me."
1. The Beginning of the Rest of Our Lives

The Beginning of the Rest of "Our" Lives?

Where do I start? So much has changed since I moved with my abusive, womanizing, drunk of a father to the town of Fell's Church, Virginia a year ago. We had a pretty nice house, kind of on the edge of town by the Old Wood, about a mile from the Boarding House ran by the old lady, sometimes speculated as a witch, Mrs. Flowers. My room was upstairs at the front of the house, and I painted it all black, with glow in the dark stars covering every inch of wall and ceiling, with glow in the dark paint, varying from purple, green, pink, orange, and blue, splatter paint everywhere, even on the black-wood floors and the mirror-closet doors and blacked out window. Instead of regular bulbs as light, I had only black lights, so my room was a dark, neon dream. It was my masterpiece, and it was my one sanctuary.

I "home-schooled" myself since I completed eighth grade, which really just consisted of me sitting on my desktop researching subjects which interest me: fantasy, history, sex, interesting facts, folk-lore, music, myths, legends, conspiracies, algebra, animals; and then an essay in my blog at the end of the week consisting of everything I'd learned during the week. A lot of "work" for that sixteen year old girl I was then.

My father was almost never home, either at work or the bar, so music was always booming from the many speakers in my room, helping me concentrate and providing exercise from the many dance-raves I throw for myself on a daily basis.

Every day was the same-old routine. I brushed and straightened my already straight black hair that shone purple or blue, depending on the light, style it, apply heavy eyeliner and, depending on my mood, spice it up a bit with mascara, eye shadow, and/or designs out of eyeliner, around my ice-blue eyes. Then go to my room and dress in my mostly all dark wardrobe, excluding my rave clothes, eat, then head up to my room and read, research whatever's on my mind, play some video games, dance, eat, then some other teenage stuff.

I'd been there three months when people started disappearing and dying. The news said it was an animal attack, some mountain lion or wolf attacking the citizens of Fell's Church. It was a Thursday night, at two fifteen in the morning when my father stumbled through the door, drunk off his ass. When he spotted me, a murderous rage filled him, and that's when he started running for me with surprising speed. I sprinted for my room, slamming the door as my father reached it. I pressed all my weight against the door, but I only weighed 96 pounds, and he was more than double that. He slammed himself against the door twice before he finally broke through, the force throwing me across the room. He jumped on top of me, pinning my arms and legs down as he beat me. I blacked out twice.

When I came too, I stopped fighting and he let up, thinking I'd given up or passed out completely. He let up on the restraints holding my arms and legs down and I gathered all of my strength, ignored the pain, and kicked him off as hard as I could, sprinting out my bedroom door, tumbling down the stairs, getting up and running into the words, my father right on my heels.

"Come back here you fucking bitch!" He screamed, grabbing my hair and wrenching me back, making me cry out in pain. He liked when I cried out.

He cut me with his knife, and then, all of a sudden, he wasn't holding me anymore. If only I knew then what that would mean later on.

I turned around to see where he was, and he'd ben picked up and thrown across the clearing we were in. A man in all black stood over him, picked his bleeding, broken body up, and bit his throat. My father screamed.

The man in black liked that.

Then, he went quiet. Eerily quiet. After a few minutes the man stood up straight, dropped my father's lifeless body to the dead, cold ground, and turned around, looking at me.

Blood was everywhere; all over his mouth, his neck, dripping down the front of his body, all over his clothes, on the ground, forming a thick, viscous pool of crimson red liquid at his feet. The man began walking toward me, and I collapsed.

When I came too, I was in a large, ornate bed with a canopy and thin veils surrounding the bed, encompassing me in a black on black tomb of comfort and luxury. I gathered my courage then threw the veils back, jumping off the bed and running out of the room, down a hall, a flight of stairs, through two rooms, the main hallway, and out the door.

_Please don't leave me, little Blackbird._

I ran through the woods in the general direction I thought my home was located, not seeing anybody, not hearing anyone following me. Was that a voice I heard as I'd left the house? I couldn't think about it, and wouldn't remember it until I heard that oddly familiar voice in my head again, in a dream.

I stumbled across a road, gathered my bearings, and ran until I came across the path that led to my house, and sprinting for safety. I bounded up the front steps, leapt through the threshold, and slammed the door shut, locking it behind me and falling to the floor, caught in a seize of body-shaking sobs. Stumbling up the stairs to my sanctuary, still sobbing, and locking my door, crawling on my bed and under the covers, grasping my home-made "voodoo" doll, Beda, I managed to fall into a deep sleep.


	2. Meeting Him, in a Dream, at Least

Chapter 1: Meeting _Him, _in a Dream, at Least

When I opened my eyes, I was in a dream. I was in a clearing in a forest, somewhere up in the mountains, somewhere I had never been before. Snow was falling hard, sticking to my hair and eyelashes. I looked up, and saw that it was nighttime, a full moon peaking up behind the tall mountains. Odd, not a cloud in the sky. I looked down, everything moving in that weird slow motion that isn't really slow motion kind of way. I was wearing black skinny jeans, knee high black converse, and a deep purple tank top. Weird, I wasn't cold. It was practically blizzarding out here, yes I know it's not a word, and I wasn't in the tiniest bit cold. Ah, dreams, my one escape.

I noticed my arms were free of bruises, and I could feel that my face wasn't bruised and beat up either.

I turned my face back up to the sky and smiled, tears falling down my face.

_Hello, Little Blackbird. _

A voice. Oh, such a beautiful, sad, sexy voice. I'd heard it somewhere before… Then, it hit me, running away from that house down the street… The Boarding House! I'd run from the Boarding House! That voice wasn't spoken out loud. That voice was in my head. I lowered my head, still in that slow motion that wasn't slow motion way, and searched the clearing, then the woods around it, seeing nothing but shadows and snow. So much snow. So much darkness.

"Hello?" I called, wanting a reply and yet dreading one.

_I saved you, Blackbird. You owe me._

"Where are you?" I called, circling, so slow, yet so fast, in circles, staring so hard at the trees, in the trees, that my eyes were beginning to hurt.

_Look with your Mind. Speak with your Mind. _

"How?" I called, distress in my voice.

_You called me when you were in trouble, projected your thoughts for help. I'm your savior. I can protect you. Do you want it?_

"Yes! Please! Keep me safe." I called, still circling, still looking, snow still falling, faster, faster.

_Then I will, Blackbird. Open your mind to me._

I opened my arms, the only thing I could think of, and closed my eyes, imagining a door opening in my mind. It was a giant black-oak door, ornate and heavy, and it creaked as if opening for the first time in this lifetime. _This_ lifetime? I've only _lived_ one lifetime. Yet, something somewhere made me think differently.

_Old Soul. You've been around awhile, each lifetime never letting anyone in, never trusting, never surrendering your secrets._

"Where are you?" I cried, keeping my eyes closed, grasping with my hands for something I knew was there, someone I knew was there. Then, pressure on my outstretched hand, arms around my waist, a chest against my head, lips on my forehead, breath against my hair, hands on my back, and safety around my mind.

_I'm here. _

My eyes flew open then, my room a spinning vortex of neon colors, Kanon Wakeshima's "Still Doll" blasting from the speakers, creating an eerie atmosphere to the already pretty spooky evening and dream I'd just had. I couldn't remember anything that had happened earlier that night, er, last night, I guess. I could only remember waking in a strange house, with blood on my shirt, and a dream…

That's when I heard a knock on the door.


	3. Saved Again

Chapter 2: Saved Again

There was another knock on the door, this time more forceful, with a harsh voice shouting, "This is the police, open up!" I shakily got up and went downstairs, opening it to the Fell's Church Sheriff.

"Audity Burgess?" The Sheriff asked.

"Yes, Sir?" I responded shakily.

"Your father was killed last night." He said, accusation in his eyes, no sympathy in his voice.

"How?" I asked, not fazed by this information. Something was calling to me, getting closer, distracting me. Wanting erupted inside of me, and my arms were aching from anticipation. Anticipation for what?

"It looks like an animal attack. Do you know anything about it?" He asked harshly.

"No, Sir." I answered, "Are you accusing me of something Officer?" I snapped, outrage shooting through me like a dark, rolling cloud, lightening exploding in my eyes, thunder from my mouth.

"Well, Miss, your father was a respectable man in the community," I scoffed at this, "and he talked about the things you do. Plus, you have blood all over you." He said, judgment in his eyes and in his voice.

That's when I spotted him, clothed in all black from head to toe, with the most amazing, captivating black eyes I'd ever seen. Had I ever seen true black eyes on anyone? The police officer turned and saw him approaching us. The stranger smiled what can only be described as a 250 kilowatt smile for a moment before it left just as suddenly, reaching us there on the porch.

"Can I help you, sir?" The officer practically shouted, aggravated and inpatient beyond belief.

The dark stranger caught the officers eyes and stared at in them intently. "Leave, the girl is heartbroken and had nothing to hide. She's grieving her loss. You found nothing. He was killed by a wolf." He said in a controlling voice. The officer nodded, got in his car, and drove away without another word.

The mysterious stranger looked at me then as if for the first time, yet like the thousandth time. He was so incredibly beautiful it made my heart hurt. Actually hurt! My heart was beating so hard, I was sure he could hear it. Why was it thumping so vigorously? I didn't know him at all. Good looks wouldn't get a heart pumping _this_ fast. It was like I knew him, body and soul, and was anxious for something that seemed so apart of my life it was like breathing. And, yet, this was the first time we'd ever met.

"Hello, Little Blackbird." He said, the nickname exploding in my head like an electric shock to my memory banks. The voice in my head, the voice in my dreams, the voice in the clearing the night before, it was his. The only thing I can remember from last night was this voice, the voice I'd heard in my head. "Can I come in?" He hadn't paused for more than three seconds, my brain is running at a hundred thoughts a minute.

"Yes." I said, almost hypnotically. "Come in." Later, I would regret ever saying those words. I would regret them, and I would relish in them.


	4. Meeting Damon

Chapter 3 Meeting Damon

I let him in. Rather, I invited him in. At the time it didn't seem like a big deal, but now I realize that, if I hadn't, maybe my life would have turned out a little different.

I took him to the kitchen, offered him a seat and went to the kitchen to get him a glass of cream soda. Bet you thought I was gonna say _water_ or _tea_, but NO! It's cream soda. Deal with it or stop reading. I handed him his drink and sat down across from him as he downed it. I checked him out, looking him over and trying to figure out where I'd seen him before.

"What's your name?" I finally asked, my voice not as powerful as I was hoping for.

"Damon Salvatore, as in Savior. Your Savior, apparently. How 'bout you, Black Bird?" Damon asked, his voice so sultry, so amazing and mind melting I barely caught what he said.

"Uh, Audity… But I'm sure you already knew that. You seemed to know I didn't kill my Father. Thanks for that, by the way." I said, recovering and managing to keep up a conversation and not seem like a babbling idiot. I wonder how long I can keep this up…

"Of course I know you didn't. I did. Not really the kind I go for, but he was hurting you. I heard your screams and pleas for help all the way from town. You're a strong telepath, you know. Anyway, you do still owe me, little Black Bird." Damon said sweetly, flashing a dazzling smile from across the table, reaching his hand across the table and grasping my fingers in his.

"Telepathy?" I asked, getting an exasperated look from Damon. Then, I finally let what he said sink in. "You were the man in black? You killed my father?" I asked, ripping my hand away and jumping out of my chair, making it fall to the floor.

"That's right, Audity. I killed him. I saved you." He said, getting up and disappearing. I stepped back, shocked and scared, searching for him and seeing him nowhere. Then I bumped into him, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, tilting my head back and putting his lips right next to my ears. "Calm down Black Bird. I've made things so much easier for you. Never again will you have to feel pain. Never again will you have to feel alone, abandoned, confused, or lost. Don't you want that? Don't you want to feel wanted? Loved?" He asked seriously, brushing the hair from my neck.

I was hypnotized. At least, that's what I tell myself to make what I did next seem alright.

"That's all I've ever wanted, Damon." I whispered, tears slipping from my eyes.

"Then let me give that to you. Let me give you all that and _more._" He said, wrapping his arms more tightly around me, supporting me. "Let me give you the world, Black Bird." He whispered, right at my ear.

"Okay." I breathed, and he kissed my ear, my jaw, my neck. And then I felt his teeth, like snake bites on my delicate white skin. Blood dripped down the curve of my neck, down my shoulders and onto my shirt as he took my blood. He took so much blood… Eventually I began to lose consciousness, and he stopped taking from me and made a clean precise cut on his throat, and brought my head to the blood seeping from his wound. I pressed my lips to the cut and drank; I drank so much, needing some sort of salvation, needing to feel some sense of belonging. Damon made me feel all of that and more.

He made me stop and picked me up, carrying me upstairs and putting me in bed.

Throughout the blood-letting, we talked telepathically to each other, and for some reason he chose me to be his confidant, to share all of his secrets with. I don't know why, because that's obviously not who he is. Damon Salvatore is not one to let people in. He's tall dark and handsome, mysterious and full of secrets. But, I guess he needed to get some of that out. He needed to tell someone what he was feeling, how torn up and confused and hurt he was.

He was in love with a girl he could never have. Her name was Elena Gilbert, and he showed me what she looked like, the times they shared together, and how in love she was with his Brother, Stefan. How much hatred he carried for his brother who had stolen Katherine Pierce from him so many years ago and now had Elena, her doppelganger. Damon had loved Katherine with all his heart, and she'd chosen Stefan over him even though Stefan never really loved her. And now, with Elena, he did everything for her, was changing for her, and she _still_ didn't love him.

He pulled the covers over me and I fell into a dreamless sleep, the last thing I saw in my consciousness were those amazingly beautiful black eyes that carried the stars and galaxies in them.


	5. Aren't You Supposed to be the Good Guy?

Chapter 4 Aren't You Supposed to be the Good Guy?

I awoke in my room alone, Le Disko by Shiny Toy Guns was playing from the speakers. I got out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold wood floors, and went to the bathroom, looking at my reflection in the mirror. My skin was paler than usual and there were dark circles under my eyes. I looked awful.

I shook my head solemnly and brushed my teeth. I went to my closet and picked out a black Charlie the Unicorn t-shirt that didn't fit me to compliment my figure and a pair of black soafe shorts, with a lime green sock on my left foot and an aqua sock on my right foot. I wasn't exactly dressing for impressing today.

I went back to the bathroom and threw on some eyeliner and ignored my hair, which was frighteningly put together and beautiful in a natural way that it hadn't ever done before. Bravo hair of wonder.

After I was ready for the day, I left my sanctuary, after cranking up my techno playlist, and danced down the stairs into the kitchen, making myself breakfast. After looking at the clock and realizing it was almost dinner time, I guess I was making dinner instead of breakfast. I thawed out some shrimp and made some garlic bread and sat down to eat my lovely dinner.

After the food was eaten and the dishes cleaned and put away, I opened all the windows, hooked up speakers all over the house, turned up my music as loud as possible, and ran outside to dance under the almost full moon and the magical stars.

Sometime through my twirling and crazy moves, Damon joined me, taking my hands in a spin and twirling me around and waltzing around my house, through the woods, to the song All I Need by Within Temptation. He put an arm around my waist and took my right hand in his. He brought my body close to his, there was hardly any room between us, and we waltzed to a song I feel is the most romantic song I know…

"Hello Black Bird, how are you feeling this wonderful evening?" Damon asked as he spun me around again.

"I'm feeling… Powerful. Beautiful, energetic, full of life. Everything seems to be amplified. The stars are brighter, foods are more delicious, smells are over powering, and dancing… It feels like I'm flying!" I said, spinning around again and staring into his fathomless eyes.

"How would you like this feeling to last forever? How would you like to become like me? You'll have the world at your fingertips. You'll be youthful and beautiful forever. There won't be anything on this planet that you can't have. How would you like to spend eternity feeling whole and complete? You'll never be alone, you can turn your feelings off; turn the hurt off. If you don't want to feel pain, you don't have too! It's wonderful, Audity, and it can be yours if you want it." Damon said, his eyes lighting up at just the mention of it.

"That sounds… Wonderful, Damon, fantastic, a dream come true. But, I have to ask, why me?" I asked, stopping the dance and staring at him intently.

"I'm tired of being alone. Nobody understands me, I don't _let_ people get close enough to understand me. But, with you, I don't know… There's something about you. Maybe it's your mind, your telepathy. I honestly couldn't tell you if I wanted too. I just saw you, heard you, and acted on instinct." Damon said, having a hard time getting his thoughts in order.

"Damon, are you okay?" I asked as he turned away, hand to his head. "Damon?" I asked, tentatively putting a hand on his shoulder. He whipped around; his face was like that out of a horror movie. I was actually _scared_ of him. I stood there, dumbstruck as his fangs grew, his face changing to that of a predator. He put his hands on both of my arms and violently brought me to him, sinking his canines into my neck. I was scared, I was trembling, but I didn't make a sound. Instead I closed my eyes and let my mind fall into his.

_You haven't fed since you killed my father?_ I said mentally, seeing his weakness, his hunger.

_What I took from you last night was hardly enough to sustain me. And, since I love Elena, I… Can't kill… She hates when I kill. I even felt a little…guilty… for killing your father, although it had to be done to save you. He had nothing good in him. Elena would have done the same thing. Since I can't kill, and that's all I want to do Audity, all I want to do is kill. To feel my victims life drain out of them, to feel their last heartbeat, watch them take their last breath, see the light leave their eyes… That's all I want to do. That's who I __**am**__! I kill and I like it! But since I love Elena, it feels wrong. I don't want to disappoint her, I want her to become my Princess of Darkness, but she hates who I am, who I really am. How can I change for her? I don't want to change, but that's the only way to get her to love me back. She loves Saint Stefan because he is pure and good and she can't stand me because I'm evil and bad. Do you understand where that puts me? Wanting to change but unable to alter who I have been for these 500 years? It's torture. I just want someone to understand, someone I can go to, a way out of this __**mess**__ I've been thrust into. Do you understand? _Damon pleaded. I'd never seen a man so vulnerable and so in need of compassion.

_I understand, Damon. I'll be here for you; I'll be your out. _I said, allowing him to take so much blood that I blacked out. When I came too I was laying in my bed in my room. I tried to sit up but a strong arm gently pushed me back down.

"Don't try and get up Black Bird. I took a lot out of you; I had to force my blood in you before you died. I'd take it easy for a little while." Damon said, laying right next to me. I'd never been in bed with a guy before, let alone a super sexy one like Damon.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" I asked him, turning my head to gaze into his eyes.

"Yeah, you are. But I'll bring you back; you'll be just like me. It'll be just like going to sleep. And I promise I'll be here when you wake up." Damon said sweetly. There was a kind of malice in his eyes but also an underlying look of sadness, such lonely sadness. I closed my eyes as he pressed his lips to mine tenderly and savored that feeling as I heard a snap and my world went black.

_Aren't you supposed to be the good guy?_ I thought before everything left me. That's when I knew; I was dead.


	6. All That I'm Living For

Chapter 5 All That I'm "Living" For

I was dead. It wasn't as painful as I thought it'd be. I was in a green valley filled with flowers, a beautiful brook flowing through the bottom. I was sitting on a hill, overlooking this beautiful valley. I was wearing a gown, an actual 18th century gown! It was beautiful, a dark blue with white lace around it. I stood out under this sunny sky.

A butterfly flew down, a beautiful blue and white, and landed on my outstreched finger. When it touched down, it turned to ash. That's when the beautiful dream began to turn into a dreadful nightmare. The sky turned to black, ash started falling all around, the mountains began to crumble, the brook dried, the flowers withered, the grass became black, withered, the beautiful cherry blossom tree I stood under withered and died, it's pink petals turning into ash. Everything was dying, everything was dead. The sky was a black that I'd never seen before, everything was dead... everything was dead...

_Just like me._

I shot up, gasping for breath, my eyes flying open. The breaths that I took didn't satisfy me, I felt like I was drowning. My lungs didn't expand and extract, I couldn't feel my heart beating, my head was pounding, I wanted to claw my eyes out.

"Hello, Blackbird. How are you feeling?" Damon asked, cupping my face in his hand.

"I'm _hungry_! My head is _killing_ me! And all I want is to fucking _eat_!" I said.

"Let's hunt then, Little Blackbird." Damon said, taking my hand and helping me get out of bed.

As I got my feet working, having a hard time standing up right. Damon supported me, helped me walk down the stairs and out the front door.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" I whispered, looking up at him. We were in the middle of the woods now, and I was walking on my own.

"Yeah, you are. You're really just undead, but to complete the process, you have to kill and feed from a human." Damon said, staring into my eyes. "Do you really want to do this?" He asked, actually giving me a choice. This also didn't seem like something Damon would do.

I thought long and hard, remembered all that he'd shared, all that he was. "Yes. I'm... I'm ready. Let's hunt." I said, watching as he disappeared and appeared right behind me. He encouraged me to try, and I did, moving faster than the human eye could see. So we took off towards town to hunt, to follow our instincts, our most basic of needs; the need to feed.

We hid in a back alley behind a local bar. A man came out, stumbling down the alley just to fall onto a pile of garbage. Damon took this one, instructed me on the right place to bite, how to make the least amount of mess, and how to erase their memory of the attack once you were done.

Now, it was my turn. I stalked a pretty girl who left the bar stumbling, falling over, and giggling hysterically. I walked up behind her, grabbed her, spun her around and sunk my teeth right into her jugular vain. My teeth punctured perfectly, and a luscious flow of that life sustaining substance erupted in my mouth. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever tasted. I couldn't stop. The girl stopped struggling, her breathing stopped, and finally her heart thudded one last time before going quiet. I'd killed her.

I dropped her body, looking at my hands, covered in blood. I'd killed an innocent human. I took off; leaving Damon behind. I ran to my house, slammed the door, and went to my bathroom, stripping off my bloody clothes and getting in the shower, not caring that the water was schorching. I stood under the water, watching the blood from that girl travel down my body and swirl down the drain. That's when the tears began to fall. I fell to the shower floor, sobbing.

"You can turn that off you know." Damon's voice came from outside the shower.

"I killed that girl. I couldn't stop myself." I said, petrified. Then, something clicked in my head. I stood up, grabbed a towel, and walked right past Damon into my walk in closet, closing it. I quickly dried off, my hair falling perfectly straight to the middle of my back. It was longer, it shined, it was luscious; like a super models. It was the most beautiful midnight black I'd ever seen, and the purple was stunning! My skin, too, was flawless, glowing. My nails had grown to a perfect length, healthy and beautiful.

I threw on a black and purple tank top, my favorite black skinny jeans, and my knee high black converse. I put on a black and purple dog collar, and sword earrings. I went to the bathroom, putting on eyeliner in the egyptian-emo style, and I was ready. I looked how I felt.

"Well, well, well, hello there little Black Bird. You look good." Damon said, lounging on my bed.

"Hi. I'm going out. I'll catch ya later." I said tossing over my shoulder as I walked out of my room. Blocking the stairs down stairs was Damon. "Uh, can I help you? I'm leaving. I'll be back later, if you need me you can send me a shout." I said, referring to our telepathy. Now that I focused on it, I couldn't hear any of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Audity, but I can't let you leave." Damon said, not moving from the base of the stairs.

"Why the hell not?" I asked, infuriated. That really pissed me off, and at the time, I couldn't understand it. I couldn't understand why he was doing this to me.

"Because _I_ made you. And you have to obey me." Damon said. I could tell he'd turned his emotions off. He was back to being his cold self, the one he put on for everyone else. The Damon that scared me.

"What... what are you talking about Damon?" I asked, scared, retreating one stair at a time, as he advanced.

"You have to obey my every word. If I tell you you can't move," He said, and all of a sudden my body locked up, not moving, no matter how hard I tried. "Then you can't. I'm your master. Now walk to your room, and don't come out until I tell you you can." Damon said, and I turned around, walked up the remaining four stairs, and walked into my room against my will.

"How could you!" I screamed, out of his trance. He was standing a few feet from my door, and I rushed at him, hitting an invisible block wall and falling to the floor when I tried to run through the door frame.

I cursed loudly, rubbing my head and glaring at Damon.

"Sorry Black Bird, but you're under my control." And with that, he turned and slowly started to walk away.

"Damon! Damon come back! Damon!" I screamed, rushing at the door frame, hitting the wall, slamming my fists over and over, again and again, screaming. He turned a corner, and disappeared, leaving me alone and trapped.

For all I knew, I was stuck here forever. And forever for a vampire can be a very long time.


	7. Stuck in My Reality

_A/N: Hey all those readers out there! This is chapter 6 of "I Shot For the Sky," and I thought it was long over due that I address you. Thanks so much for reading! I love all of my readers. Lauren Ballard, you're the most dedicated reader I've had, and I love reading your reviews! For all of those silent readers out there, reviews are love, and we all love the love! Hehe ^_^ Alright, I think I'm done with that..._

_Spoiler: He, spoilers... YEAH RIGHT! LOL! Fine, in this chappie, lovely little Audity is stuck in her room, which she once viewed as her sanctuary. What is Damon's point in trapping her here? Why did he do it? And what happened to that nice, sweet Damon that we all know and love? (If you can't tell, I'm procrastinating...) Thanks for reading, I love you all. _

_This is dedicated to Lauren Ballard!_

Chapter 6 I'm Trapped in My Reality!

I paced back and forth for about half an hour, waiting for Damon to come back and knowing he wasn't going too. I could feel him in the back of my mind, he was about two miles away, and he wasn't in a very good mood. Someone was angering him, and it wasn't me. I couldn't get anymore, and he wouldn't respond to my telepathic cries, so I gave up. I left Damon and walked to my bed, pulling back the covers and crawling under. I could feel the sun rising. I grabbed Beda and held him to my chest and cried.

The slamming of the front door jolted me awake. I was out of bed and in a dark corner of my room in the blink of an eye. I really do like this speed. I opened my mind and felt Damon coming up the stairs. He was upset. I cautiously walked to my door, peering down the hall and seeing Damon stepping up from the stairs. I guess he _was_ coming back after all.

"What the hell? You didn't say anything when you left, I can't leave my room, and I've been trying to call you all freakin' day!" I said as he stopped three feet away, leaning against the wall and staring at me, no emotion on his face.

"Yeah, I heard, until you passed out. But, little Black Bird, if I hadn't trapped you, you might have tried to run, and if you'd tried to run, you would have found out that the sun burns to the point of excruciating pain. I trapped you here, in a bedroom with blacked out windows, so you wouldn't get hurt. Here," He tossed me something and I caught it, holding it in my hand and staring at it. It was a necklace, beautiful silver with a blue pendent.

"What is it?" I asked stupidly.

"That's a necklace." Damon said as if I was stupid.

"I know that, but why give it to me?" I asked, leaning on one leg and putting a hand on my hip.

"That blue pendent," Damon began, walking into my room and taking the necklace from my hand, "Is Lapis Lazuli. That stone, when charmed by a witch, protects a Vampire from the Sun. So," He said, gently putting the necklace around my neck, securing it there, "Now you can go out in the Sun." He smirked. "It suits you."

He turned me around to stare in the mirror across the room. With my midnight black hair, and white radiant skin with a little orange undertone, the necklace really looked beautiful, like I'd been wearing it my entire life.

"You got a witch to charm this for me? I can go out in the sun?" I asked, a smile breaking across my face. "Does this mean we can go run? Hunt?" I asked excitedly, choosing to turn off the guilt of last night. Call me selfish, I don't care.

"Yes little Black Bird, it surely does. But, for now, I need you to gather some of your stuff. We're... going away for a little while." Damon said, a hint of nervousness behind his voice.

"What are you talking about Damon? Where are we going?" I asked.

"Just get your stuff. Be out in the car in five minutes." Damon said, using compulsion on me. Damn that compulsion!

"How long can you do that did you say?" I called jokingly behind me as my feet took me to my closet and my hands started putting outfits, shoes, accessories, hats, and jackets in a duffle bag. I picked up my photo album, the only memories of my Mother, my favorite book, my iPod, my pocket knife, and Beda into my purse, and walked down stairs, arriving at the car at the exact time Damon said. I can't wait to use compulsion on someone, to see if it'll even work. I think Damon's compulsion will wear off soon... I hope...

Damon took my bag and threw it in the back, opening the passenger side door of his black Ferrari for me. I slid in, settling into the seat and playing with my necklace. Damon got in a moment later and started up the car and peeled out of my dirt drive way.

"Where are we going?" I asked perkily. The sun was setting as we emerged from the trees and took a left onto the paved road that took us further into the Old Wood.

"Well, I'm taking you to my place. It's suddenly unsafe for you to be residing in your home. So, I have a safe place for you. I won't lose you." Damon said, something in his voice.

_What aren't you telling me?_ I asked mentally, not feeling like talking all of a sudden.

_Don't worry about it. We're going somewhere safe, you'll be safe, it's all that matters. There's someone after us, and they're deadly. They've killed so many people, ruined so many lives._ Damon said turning serious.

He was going 100 miles per hour down the winding road, I was gripping the door for dear life so I wouldn't fly out of the open top of the sports car. Damon was driving like crazy, I feel there's more to this thing than he's letting on.

We pulled up to the Boarding House and he grabbed my stuff, grabbed me, and rushed us inside in less than ten seconds.

"Good gracious in a hurry are we?" I attempted to joke, giving him a smile. He just glared at me.

"Follow me." He said, taking my hand and towing me up the stairs. "This is my room, you can put your stuff down wherever. You can sleep in my bed. You can't leave the room and you have to stay quiet, Stefan can't know about you yet. Can you do that for me please?" Damon asked, looking into my eyes sincerely.

"Aren't you going to compel me?" I asked

"I rather you want to stay here then me force you to be here." Damon said, truly wearing his emotions on his sleeve. What the freak is up with him! First, he's all sweet and hero-y, then he's all romantic and open, then he's all harsh and cold, then he was forceful, and now he's back to being sweet and kind?

"I told you Damon, I'll always be here for you." I replied sincerly. I honestly don't know why I'm doing this, why I gave up my life to never die, why I continue to assist the man who did this to me, why I try and help him...

"Thank you Audity. I'll start a bath for you then get you some blood, feel free to relax, this is your home now and I want you to be as comfortable as possible." Damon said, kissing my forehead before disappearing into the bathroom. I heard running water start and opened up my duffle bag, getting out some clean clothes and my favorite pair of pajamas. Damon emerged from the bathroom, shirt off. Gosh his body is so beautiful... He came up to me, cupping my face in his hand before leaving the room.

I walked into the bathroom, closed the french doors, undressed, and climbed into the steamy bath and finally relaxing.

"Audity!" I heard Damon scream. I shot up, I must've fallen asleep in the bath.

"Hm?" I asked, getting out of the bath and wrapping a towel around my naked body. Damon came in, getting distracted as his eyes roamed my body. "Ahem," I cleared my throat and he brought his eyes to meet mine.

"You didn't say anything when I called you, I got worried..." Damon said, putting a hand behind his head and looking away.

"I just fell asleep, I'm okay hun. I am still tired though. Do you mind if we go to sleep?" I asked yawning.

"Of course Audity, but first, drink this." Damon said, handing me a glass of blood.

"Ugh, but it's not fresh!" I complained but took it and downed it quickly. Damon left the room and I put on a pair of boxers and a tank top, left the bathroom, and crawled into his giant ornate bed. I cuddled up to Damon in the middle of the bed and he lay there and stoked my hair as I fell into a deep, deep sleep.


	8. Revelations, of the Worst Kind

Chapter 7 Revelations of the Worst Kind

I awoke in an empty bed. "Damon?" I called, fear in my voice. Fear? Why was I afraid?

"Sshh, little Dreamer, all will end soon enough." I turned around and saw a guy with black hair with crimson red tips, and... a fox tail... The look on his face was one of evil. I screamed.

I was shaking violently when my eyes fluttered open. "Audity! Audity wake up!" Damon's frantic voice echoed in my head.

"I'm up, Damon. Calm down." I mumbled, turning over and pulling the covers over my head.

"You were screaming Blackbird. And I couldn't get in your head, you just worried me." He said wrapping his arms around me and nuzzling my neck. I averted my eyes to the floor, not telling him about the dream, playing it off as nothing. But I knew it wasn't nothing, someone was out to get me.

Later that day we heard the front door slam. We'd spent the entire day up until that point laying in bed, cuddling, sharing, learning more about what I now am and more about who Damon is, what he's done.

"That's gotta be Stefan. Don't make a sound, he can't know about you yet." Damon whispered in my ear before disappearing from my side.

I got out of bed quietly, attuning my ears to hear everything that went on downstairs and went to the closet to change. Wearing black skinnys, knee high converse, and a tank top fashioned kind of like a straight jacket with a leather jacket and dog collar to top it all off. I really just want to look as badass as possible if I'm going to live the life of the undead.

I heard shuffling noises down stairs and without thinking used my new founded speed to get down there, following the scuffling noises.

The scene I walked in on was a chaotic one. There was a pretty girl with brown hair and brown doe eyes standing at the edge of the parlor, an average height-build guy locked arms with the beautiful Damon, both their faces contorted to those of monsters, their eyes filled with blood, vains around their eyes standing out, making them both look teriffing enough without the snarling and growling, inhuman speed, and unnatural power.

"Damon stop!" The girl yelled, pain contorting her face. This obvisouly was upset by all this fighting between the two young men fighting. That's when I smelled fresh human blood, and saw a cut on her arm as the blood slowly trickled down, dripping on the floor.

"Audity get out of here!" Damon yelled as I felt my face twist into that of a blood thirsty monster. The girl let out a scream, and the two guys immedietly stopped fighting, the average one taking a protective stance in front of her and Damon appearing in front of me, holding me back with brute force as the Monster inside me lunged toward the pretty girl.

"Get Elena out of here **now** Stefan!" Damon yelled toward the guy who ushered the girl out of the room. "Sshh little Black Bird calm down, drink this." Damon said, forcing that rich hot liquid down my throat, sustaining my thirst. I began to cry.

_It's okay, it's okay, you can't help it._ Damon said, wrapping his arms around me, holding me to his chest.

"I couldn't stop myself." I said, clutching Damon's shirt. "I wanted to _kill_ her, drain the life out of her. I had no control." I sobbed, wishing I'd wake up from this nightmare.

My entire life I wanted to walk the Earth as an immortal. I wished for that freedom for my entire existence. And, now, I just wished it had never happened.


	9. A Sin Turned Tragedy

Chapter 8 A Sin Turned Tragedy

So, remember earlier when I mentioned if I'd known what I knew now, I wouldn't even be in this situation? Well, here's the beginning of the knowledge I wish I had a few days ago.

The unending thirst for blood. That one is a real downer. All I wanted was to feed, feed, feed. For three straight days I lived in a blood haze, searching, hunting, killing... I wasn't in control of myself or the thirst that drove me to town every night, making me kill an innocent civilian. Eventually, Damon and Stefan, that average square looking guy, locked me in the basement because I was faster and sneakier than they both were and that was the only way to keep me in the house..

Stefan and Damon argued a lot. Stefan yelled at Damon, Damon would yell back, Elena, the girl with the brown hair and doe eyes, cried a lot. Damon spent a lot of time outside my cell, leaning against the door, whiskey in hand, talking both mentally and physically as I writhed and screamed in agony.

Stefan began injecting me with vervain, this herb that was a vampires only other weakness other than the sun and wood, to keep me weak but never unconsious, so the pain was almost unbearable. Damon was sad, he never meant for this to happen to me. Things would've been different had he stopped me from killing that girl when I transitioned. I wouldn't be out to kill. I was new, I had no restraint yet, but since things in the town were so chaotic right now, Stefan had to keep me locked up, they couldn't risk getting discovered.

I was in pain every day for a week after my 3 day blood spree. A week of torture. Eventually Damon came into the room during a particularly painful fit, taking me into his arms and holding me as I screamed and cried.

"I'm so sorry Audity. I'm so, so sorry..." He repeated over and over, I couldn't tell if he was speaking aloud or just in my head, but whatever the case was, he sounded miserable.

"Why am I like this?" I asked in desperation. I was so kind-hearted as a human, I couldn't even kill a spider no matter how teriffied of them I was. And now I'd killed half a dozen people in a bloody rampage.

"It's because you were a good person that the blood lust is effecting you this way. You have no other distractions like most do, you're not in love, you have no goal to chase. You didn't have much as a human, you didn't have feelings for people as a human because of the way they treated you. That's why it's so easy to kill, because all feelings are heightened when you become a vampire. So, to you, humans aren't anything but food." Damon said, stroking my hair.

"But they're people! They have lives, families..." I whispered.

"Yes, but people have only done horrible things to you, treated you badly. So you only see the bad when you're hunting, you don't see humans, you see blood. I'll teach you, I promise it won't be like this forever." Damon said, kissing my forehead. Something surged in me then, and I looked up at the handsome vampire that had saved my life once and ruined it for eternity. I wanted to hate him, to curse him and run away as fast as I could. But instead, I felt myself leaning towards him, pressing my lips to his. His reaction was instantanious. He kissed me back hungerily, our lips moving in synchronization. We molded into one.

Then I was across the room and he was out the door, gone. He'd run. I'd kissed him. I'd kissed him knowing he was in love with a girl who was living right up stairs. Knowing that, besides the color of my hair and the color of my eyes, I looked a _lot_ like Elena. Elena the girl Damon loves. And I'd kissed him.

Lust is a sin no matter what context it's in.

The door to my cell was unlocked, left ajar. Damon didn't lock it. I stood up and walked out of that prison, using the wall to support me as I stumbled up the basement stairs, appearing in the hall. I looked around dizzly, Stefan hadn't fed me in two days, I was blood deprived and weak. I stumbled into the parlor, and was suddenly slammed into the wall, a death grip on my neck.

"Stefan stop!" I croaked, grabbing at his hands trying fuitily to take his hands off my throat. "I'm better, I'm in control, please Stefan! You're hurting me." I managed to get out. Stefan dropped me and I fell to the floor, gasping for breath and rubbing my neck.

"I'm sorry, are you alright?" Stefan asked, kneeling down and putting a hand gently on my back.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay. I'm weak though, and I'm hungry." I said, looking up into his face that changed from vicious to kind.

He disappeared and reappeared with a blood bag. I yanked it from him and tore the top off, draining it in a matter of seconds. He handed me another one and I drained it too.

"Do you feel better?" He asked as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Yes, thank you. Do you mind if I take a shower, change clothes and go to sleep?" I asked, feeling more like myself for the first time since all this happened.

"Sure, I'll show you to Damon's room." Stefan said, taking my hand and helping me stand, and then leading me up the beautiful ornate stairs. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you get control of your hunger, what got you under control?" Stefan asked kindly.

"Well, two things happened. I kissed a guy for the first time, and realized I'm in love." I said, giving an ironic smirk before shutting the door in Stefan's face, racing to the bathtub and filling it to the brim with steaming hot water and bubbles undressing and literally jumping in.

After my bath and sufficient crying, I came to my second realization, the second thing I wished I knew a few days ago; that I, Audity, was in love with Damon Salvatore. And, as I came to this realization that should have been so obvious to me in the beginning, I came to another; that never, for the rest of my existence, which lasted until the end of time, would Damon ever be able to love me in return.


	10. Take Everything From Me

_A/N: Alright readers! I need some imput, ideas, suggestions on how to make this better, etc. so it doesn't flop dead like every other thing I've ever written. REVIEWS ARE LOVE PEOPLE! I'd really appreciate some feed back on what you think and what you'd like to see and what could be improved on. Thanks a bunch!_

_P.s. If Cullen Rice is happening to read this, this chapter is dedicated to you and our time together. I love you Zero._

Chapter 9 Take Everything From Me

I threw on a pair of boxer shorts and a baggy T-shirt that hung off one shoulder and some knee socks and began to explore Damon's room for the first time. He didn't keep much from the 500 some-odd years he'd been alive. It surprised me, he seemed like the kind of guy to keep some of the things he'd accumulated throughout the years, but, then again, he's not the kind to stick around in one place for very long.

I plugged my iPod into some speakers, turned on Zydrate Anatomy from Repo! The Genetic Opera. Ha, ironic, I love it...

Damon came in as I was dancing around the room, pratically floating my moves were so graceful.

"Oh," I said, shutting off the music and standing awkwardly in front of the man who I was now in love with. "Hi." I mumbled lamely.

Damon said nothing, but slamed the door and in his vampire quickness was across the room, hands on either side of my face and kissing me with a hunger that, obviously, surprised the hell out of me. I was over come with desire and kissed him back feverishly, in desperate need for his love. I guess what Damon had said when I was a human was true, all of the things you feel in your human life are just heightened as a vampire. My entire life I'd starved for love and acceptance from anybody, and never recieved it, but always longed for it. Now, as a vampire, I needed it more, from the only person I'd ever met to show me kindness, acceptance, and longing. Damon was the only person I'd ever come in contact with to show me something other than anger, to open up to me, to _need _me. And I loved it, wanted more of it, wanted more of _Damon_.

_I want more of you too, Audity. So much more... Earlier, when we kissed, I was confused. I was confused because the feelings that erupted inside me were...stronger, even, then the feelings that stir in me when I'm near Elena, talking to her, touching her, sharing sacred moments of shushed love with her. I felt the same thing when we kissed but, stronger. It's like heat exploded throughout my entire body... I want you, Audity._ Damon confessed through our mind link. Goosebumps rose on my arms and legs, yearning pulled me tighter in his arms. I hadn't shielded my thoughts, so he heard everything I'd thought. He didn't love me, but he wanted me, needed me. He'd always needed me.

_Take me, Damon. All of me is yours._ I said back, falling in a jumble of pleassure, lust, love, and the most desperate form of compassion imaginable.

The next day, I threw on a pair of black skinny jeans, a black tank top, knee high black converse, my cross dog collar fashioned choker, and a black leather jacket. I grasped my lapis lazuli necklace in my hand, hanging down to my collar bone. It made me feel secure, safe.

"Are you ready, Black Bird?" Damon asked, cupping my face in his hand. He was wearing dark jeans, a tight black shirt, a black leather jacket, and black designer shoes. He was as handsome as ever, his hair stylishly messy in the way that I adore so greatly. I smiled, closing my eyes and pressing my face to his hand like a cat when you pet it.

"Let's go Zero." I said, taking his hand and tugging him along. What we were about to do was going to anger everyone who was close to him, but we had to do this. It was...the only way. Like he'd said before the blood thirst had over powered me, we were going away for a little while. I wished I'd talked him out of it. What happened next triggered the horrible events that fell upon the small town of Fells Church.

We entered the Dark Dimension. The Dark Dimension is just one of hundreds of seperate dimensions that, if you have the knowledge, you can travel through. This dimension was the most well known and, for a human, the most deadly and degrating. Good thing I've lost my humanity, aye? I giggled.

"Stop that. This isn't fun and games Black Bird, this is serious. These people kill for fun." Damon said, grasping my hand as we walked along the dirt roads under the blood red moon that never sets, casting the entire place in an eerie red glow, distorting colors, making the place look more menacing than if it had been under a blue sky with a yellow sun hanging above us. Then it would've looked like any ordinary market place filled with demons, kitsune, vampires, and other various monsters straight out of a girls nightmares.

"But, that's what we do." I said innocently, giggling again. I don't know why I find this whole thing funny, it's probably the shock that the monsters I'd feared from my nightmares were all real, walking all around me, surrounding me like a pride of lions on a gazelle. I was the helpless gazelle, with my tiny body and gentle features. As a human I looked fragile, but as a vampire I looked down right breakable. The irony caused another nervous giggle-fit from me.

"Here it's worse, they torture you to the worst extent, do horrible things to you, enslave you... Even as a vampire you're not safe." Damon said, stopping a thing he informed me is called a critter and helping me into it. It was basically an old fashioned carriage carried by humans. He closed the shutter instantly, putting his arms around me so I couldn't see what was going on outside. I heard the worst scream and buried my face in his chest more.

"It's a human girl, she's only fourteen... They're whipping her to death." I whispered, hearing all the thoughts from everyone watching. So many thoughts of the same thing actually produced a picture I could see clearly in my head. Even though we were walking away from it now in the critter, and the shutters closed and my face in Damon's chest, I could still see it. I almost cried, but I'm a vampire now, and I will not cry.

"Your telepathy is incredible. So vivid... You must have a witch somewhere in your family history. Or it's left over from one of your many lives, you're an old soul my beautiful Audity." Damon said as we got further away, the picture fading. I detangled myself from him and went to the window, drawing the shade and gazing out. We were in a more respectable part of the Dark Dimension, where the slaves had nicer clothes, shoes, less dirt caked onto their faces.

That's when I saw a boy with raven blue hair, tall with a lanky built. He had a black fox tail with a blue tip the same color as his hair, and he was wearing skinny jeans and a hoodie.

"Charles!" I yelled towards the boy, launching myself out of the critter with not a single thought as to what I was doing. The boy, who was more around my age than an actual boy, turned towards my voice, the look of shock that changed his features when I threw myself at him, promptly glomping him in a tackle hug and throwing him to the ground was as big of a surprise to the boy and Damon as it was to me.

"Anna?" He asked, recogonizing me as well. That's when he kissed me.

_A/N: Oh shit I bet none of you expected THAT! Bahahahahahhaa that just came to me, because I'm an evil authoress, yes I am. Poor Damon, watching his girl getting kissed by some random kitsune with blue hair... (Kitsune is a fox deity, who is basically a badass emo/punk/scene dream with a fox tail) For any of you who didn't know. Charles is ... Oh dude I almost gave it away! WAIT FOR THE BEAWESOME CHAPTER 10 COMING HOPEFULLY TOMORROW! 3 _

_Reviews are Love People!_


	11. Over and Over

Chapter 10 Over and Over

I came to my senses then, as did he, and we quickly shoved each other off the other and stood up, looking away, then drawing our eyes back to each other.

"Who the hell is this?" Damon demanded clearly upset.

"I'm sorry Damon, I should explain. This is Charles, he's a Prince in the Kitsune world. I was one of his servants in another life. We fell in love, we were going to elope before I died of a mysterious illness. How are you?" I turn to the beautiful Kitsune standing before me. Seeing him through these eyes, eyes that have found love in another life, but remembering the love we shared, well, it's a little more than completely confusing.

"I've survived. I met a really nice girl, a Duchess from a land far away. Her name is Kasandra, and we're very happy together. We named our first born daughter after you." He said, smiling kindly at me. So he was over me, er, Anna, it wasn't true love like we suspected all those years ago. Good, I'm glad.

I can't help but smile at him, and after exchanging some more kind words back and forth we shake hands and head out on our separate ways.

What we didn't notice, to caught up in everything that happened as we walked away was that another Kitsune with a much darker aura was watching and listening to everything, as he wiped the dirt off his nice clothes from being knocked down by me in my run to Charles. This was a Kitsune you didn't want to mess with, this was a guy who held a grudge, this was a guy who lusted for the blood of his enemies. And I was an enemy of the worst kind.

We got back in the critter and continued on our way until it turned dark and we decided to get a crappy room to sleep in for the night. Damon was being incredibly quiet, he hadn't said a word since the entire Charles ordeal. He was obviously not okay.

"Damon," I tried, reaching my hand out to touch his shoulder.

He just shrugged me off, tried to walk away.

"Stop! Damnit Damon look at me!" I said, turning him around, making him face me. His face was a mask, of course it was. Then, something sparked in his eyes, and he drew me to him and kissed me, held me, caressed me.

"I love you." He whispered before kissing me again.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked quietly, staring into his eyes.

"I love you. I don't want to love anyone, it only ends in heartbreak. I can't risk loving another girl and having her kill me, or choose my brother over me, or leave me like I'm nothing. I can't do love again…" He said, letting me go, heading for the door.

"Don't runaway from this. You runaway from everything, Damon, don't runaway from me. Yes, I've had a long history, I'm an old soul, and eventually I'm going to remember everything, or maybe I won't, but I will never have another life again, I'll be here forever, for all of eternity I will be here for you. Don't runaway from all of this." I said, standing there, holding my ground.

"Nothing's forever." Damon said, turning away and walking out the door.

I sunk to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest and resting my head on top of them. My hair fell like a curtain, making me feel more secure. It'd grown longer since my transformation from human to vampire. It's so weird, I don't even remember how we got to this point. It all started the night my father tried to kill me, when the man in black came in and drank his blood until there was nothing left. He'd advanced towards me and I'd blacked out, only to awake in a bed in the boarding house nobody visited, in what I now know to be Damon's bed. I wonder what happened from the point I blacked out to the point of me awakening. I'd run out, scared for my life, and the only thing to follow me was that lonely, heart-wrenching plea Damon sent after me.

Why did he choose me, out of every other girl in the world, let alone Fells Church. I wasn't special, we don't exactly have all that much in common… I begin to second-guess the "love" we feel for each other. Is it just both of us tired of being alone, searching for sympathy, empathy, and understanding? Someone to just be _there_ for each other? I don't know…

I fell asleep with thoughts of everything swirling through my brain like snow in a blizzard.

I awoke to the slamming of the door. I shot up, looking toward the door. Their Damon stood, soaked to the bone, but holding something in a little bag.

"You found it?" I ask quietly, eyeing the bag in his hand.

"Yes, we can leave now." Damon said, opening the door and walking out again. I sigh, run a hand through my hair before running after him and catching up quickly. I decided it was best not to say anything, or give him any indication that I was upset, that something was wrong, and just let him be. No need to worry him when he's already pissed off at me.  
>I walked a few feet behind him, giving him room. He's still upset by whatever was bothering him last night. Ugh.<p>

We walked through the Gates to the Earth Plane and were back in the front yard of the Boarding House. We were met with lots of shouting and yelling and scolding that got us, in a sense, grounded and confined to Damon's room. They didn't even _appreciate_ the danger we'd put ourselves in to get what they needed. We didn't even get a thank you.

Damon still wouldn't talk to me, so I just sat on the bed, swinging my legs back and forth, staring at the ceiling and humming. I pulled out my laptop and started a new blog.

_The Life of a Vampire._

_As a vampire, I expected everything to be different. I expected to have more confidence in myself, look a million times sexier without even trying, and be this super amazing, super perfect creature. But, as it turns out, being a vampire is a lot like being human. Besides the fact that I now thirst for human blood and all my senses are heightened, and I can turn my feelings off if I really wanted too, nothing's really changed. I still think the same, act the same, talk the same, walk the same… There's really nothing different. _

_And my social life? It's almost exactly as it was BEFORE all of this. I still have boy drama, I still have no friends, and I'm grounded. The only difference is I have an open pass to other realms and get to know other creatures, but that's not really all that big of a difference._

_Not that I'm complaining, I'm sooo glad I did this. I feel stronger, I can run faster, see perfectly in the dark… And listening to people's thoughts… WIN!_

_~BlackBird~_

Once I'd completed my blog about how unawesome my vampire life was, I decided that, as Damon was brooding in the corner drinking his whiskey or whatever the fuck he drinks, I'd put on my favorite pajamas and make a nest in that huge bed of his and sleep the day away. Or…night? I don't even know, the windows in his room are blacked out like mine.

I honestly can say that nothing is turning out like I had hoped it would. Hopefully Damon will climb into bed with me and sleep his troubles away. If he doesn't I may just have to smack some sense into him; this is getting ridiculous.

~*~ Alright, so it wasn't a DAY it was more like 3 FUCKING MONTHS. Sorry. . I fail as an authoress, and I apologize for this.

_Cullen Rice, I LOVE YOU! So glad you're enjoying the story so far._

_JessJess98, I'm super glad you like it! I have a compy now so I can ACTUALLY update more than once every 100 years. ^_^ _

_Lauren Ballard, thanks for sticking with me this far girly. 3_

_DaLeNa101, there, I continued, with your cherry on top and everything. XDD_


	12. Lovestruck

Chapter 11 Lovestruck

I awoke the next morning to find Damon laying next to me. He always looks so innocent when he's asleep; free of all the worries of this world. I rolled over and gave him a kiss, making him stir in his sleep but not awaken. I quietly slid out of bed and dressed in my usual all black and converse. I was a vampire stereotype.

I walked downstairs and found the house completely empty; a rare occasion that I always enjoyed. I poured myself a glass of blood and decided to go outside and enjoy the beautiful fall day and explore the grounds. I always did like exploring as a child.

I bounded outside, feeling energetic and, in a sense, bouncy. I skipped around the woods, looking for fallen trees to climb, practicing my running and jumping, testing my new vision and hearing. I was really enjoying all these heightened senses, it made me feel empowered, strong invincible. I could take on anyone in the world and win, even if I weighed 100 pounds and was no taller than 5'5. Looks can be deceiving, you know.

"Hello Blackbird." Damon's voice said, coming from behind me.

"Damon!" I squealed, whipping around and running to him throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him. I looked up at him and kissed him passionately, letting him know that, although he's been acting more than completely bizarre, I still loved him. I could feel the stress melt off him as our kiss lengthened. He'd been bottling everything up inside for days now, and it was driving him off the edge and into a dark place no man should go. It's really unhealthy to shove all your emotions away and feeling nothing. He'd turned his humanity off for just a short while and I could tell why so many people believe vampires are monsters. When they turn their emotions off, they become monsters.

"I'm sorry Audity. Truly." Damon whispered against my hair.

"It's alright Damon, I told you I'd always be here for you, forever and eternity." I said, kissing him again. He picked me up and ran me to the house, getting there and up the stairs in a matter of seconds. He threw me on our bed and we finally, after days of isolation, be together.

"I love you." He whispered, intertwining our fingers and holding me tightly. He feels so alone all the time. I just want to ease his pain…

"I love you too." I whispered, kissing him and falling asleep in his arms.

I was spinning, falling, lost in the sea of chaos and memories. Faces appeared and disappeared in the water around me. I reached for them but they were always just out of reach. I couldn't find the surface, I was suffocating, unable to breathe, unable to really see anything in the dark water. Was there even a surface to go to?

Voices, I could hear voices. Echoing, over and over, the same warning, the same threat.

"You made the wrong choice." It'd echo.

"You're soul is doomed for all eternity." I clawed desperately, trying to find the surface, trying to find air. I needed air.

"He will never be yours."

A quieter voice, scarier than all the rest, "You're going to die, little Vampire."

I broke the surface. My feet found a hard stony floor, and I found a bank of sharp rocks, throwing my body onto it, gasping for breath as the rocks cut into my skin, stinging me. I didn't care. I could breath, I had air.

I sat up slowly, looking around in the complete darkness, trying to find a pinprick of light.

"Hello?" I called, hearing my own voice, raspy, echoing throughout the space. I was in a cave, that much I knew. Was this real life, or a dream?

I'm a vampire, why can't I see in the dark?

"You're going to be forever thrust into blackness." A male voice screamed, loud, echoing over and over, ringing in my ears, sending chills all over my body.

Then, right in front of my face, not two inches away, the scariest, most terrifying face I'd ever seen appeared out of fucking nowhere, and shoved a wooden stake through my stomach.

I sat up screaming. Damon immediately awoke beside me and quickly searched the room for a threat before pulling my tiny body into his arms and holding me to his body as I sobbed. He read my mind quickly and saw what had happened.

"Sshh Audity, it was just a nightmare, you're okay, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered, consoling me and kissing me and holding me until I calmed down.

"Do you think it was a prophecy?" I asked, looking into his ice blue eyes for guidance. This is all still so new to me… Usually when things like this happen to me, dreams of this sort, well, they almost always come true.

"No, I'm sure it was just a nightmare Love. Nothing to worry about." Damon said, but I could hear the lie in his voice. He thought it might really be a prophecy. Damn witch vampire shit. For once I'd like a normal dream where I fly around and eat ice cream clouds and play with unicorns or some shit. I miss normality!

Oh, wait, I'd never had that. Fuck.

Damon kissed my tears away and laid me down, holding me as we fell asleep once again. For some reason lately I've been really tired, maybe it was all the, uh, physical activity Damon and I had been doing lately. Or maybe it was just me still getting used to this vampire stuff. Or stress. Whatever the case, it felt good and reassuring to fall asleep in Damon's arms and have him there to wake up to. He was the first person I saw when I awoke, and the last person I saw before I fell asleep.

"I love you." I murmured before sleep finally claimed me.


	13. Orange Juice

A/N: So, you'll notice that this chapter's name is… more off than most of my others. Well, this is because I'm writing this on a whim, and was drinking orange juice at this time. So, the chapter's name is Orange Juice. So, enjoy the randomness. Because that's what this will be.

Chapter 12 Orange Juice

It's been two weeks since we arrived from the Dark Dimension. Things in Fells Church have gotten beyond bad. That red tipped kitsune I'd stumbled on in the Dark Dimension, and saw in a dream, and his twin sister, have taken over the kids in the town. They've all gone insane. They're literally CRAZY. They've taken over the town, drove all the adults out, and are attacking each other, animals, eating…_things._ I think I stumbled upon a group of them eating what was left of an infant child. It's disturbing.

And, to add to the gross weirdness, there's these little slimy slug things that crawl inside heads to make them do these things. And, trust me, these things are nasty to the extreme. The Old Wood also came alive, attacking Stefan and Elena as they tried to go into town to check on their friend Caroline, who's practically possessed and pregnant with werewolf babies. So she's infected with the gross slug thing, and is crazy because of the hybrid babies growing in her body. Not baby; babies. She's having a litter, and changing into a werewolf the further along she goes. It's…weird. Why are things in Fells Church so gosh damn weird?

Also, yes I know the list keeps getting longer, the Old Wood is full of body infesting, long clawed, creepy crawlies.

So, on this day, of which I've lost count, Damon is sending me away to his private island so he and the others can save the day. Why is he sending me away? Because they're all probably going to die. And he doesn't want me to die. Although I hate the thought of any of my somewhat new friends dying, I much rather lay around on a beach all day and surf.

So, after a heartfelt goodbye, and, surprisingly, it was a difficult one, I ran off away from the cursed town that Damon was only staying in because Elena refused to leave her little town.

I decide to turn the feelings of guilt and sadness and other depressing stuff OFF, and jump on the sailboat Damon personally bought for me. He made sure to hire people as well, oh the wonders of the Internet!, so not only do they get me to my destination, but I won't run out of food or company. He's so caring.

The boat is beautiful; black, of course, with black sails. It's called the Black Bird, after the nickname he's bestowed upon me.

We sailed from New Orleans late on a Friday evening. It was cool, the wind blew through my hair as I stared out at the ocean, the first time I'd ever seen it. It was breathtaking. At dawn the next day, land came into sight.

We were somewhere in the Caribbean, according to the Captain. When we docked the boat, the sun was coming up over the horizon, and gave the beach a beautiful, fantasy type feel. The waters around the island were crystal clear, the prettiest blue I'd ever laid eyes on. There were palm trees everywhere, parrots dotting the trees with every color of the rainbow. A deckhand quickly ran up and offered me an orange juice cocktail. It had a little purple umbrella in it, and a green bendy straw. It was really yummy!

The deckhand showed me up a beaten path through the forest to a giant mansion, at least four stories tall. It was amazing!

I ran in and found a freaking waterbed in the master bedroom! I laid down and decided to try and check in on Damon and see how everything was going in Fell's Church. He let me know he was alright, but beside that I didn't get anything for conversational purposes. So, I decided to go swimming in the fucking ocean.

A month later, and I hadn't heard from Damon in three days. I was beginning to get cabin fever on this island, I'd literally explored every inch of it. I was extremely worried about Damon. I was scared for Damon, what they were dealing with was no laughing matter.

I slammed my laptop shut, annoyed at the stupidity of others, and swiveled the chair around to see Damon standing before me.

"Damon!" I screamed, getting out of the chair and running into his arms.

"I missed you so, Audity." He whispered into my hair. I clung to him, so relieved to have him here, safe, and not dead. I really liked him not dead. "I'm sorry." He said. I tried to look up at him with a questioning look on my face, but he wouldn't let me. Then I felt it, a sharp stab in my back, a gut wrenching agony that dropped me to my knees. I looked up at the man that I thought I loved, and felt the wooden stake in my back. I was dead.


	14. Another Chance?

Part 2 The F'd Up Universe

Chapter 13 Another Chance?

I shot up screaming my head off. I was dazed and disoriented, looking around and blinking wildly to try and get a bearing on where exactly it was I was at. I was in my room, that much I knew. Not my room in the boarding house, my room in my father's house. My heart slowed as realization dawned on me; I was getting a second chance. Thank God! Or whomever it was that made good stuff happen to good people. I'm not a vampire, there's no Damon, and everything was exactly as it had been after I ran from the Boarding House following the night of my father's death. How, do you ask, did I know it was _that _particular morning? Because I still had blood on my clothes and around my mouth. Which meant Damon gave me his blood to help me heal, seeing as to I didn't have any broken bones or bruises or scratches in sight. Which meant I could still turn into a vampire if I die. Shit.

I got up, took my clothes off, and hopped in the shower, watching a good deal of blood flow down my body and swirl down the drain. I got out, brushed my hair, and put on my favorite pair of PJ's, a black tank top, and put my hair back in a clip to dry. That's when the obnoxious knocking reached me in my upstairs Sanctuary.

"It's got to be that asshole cop." I grumbled to myself as I went downstairs to answer the door. There he stood, scowl in place, talking angrily. I paid very little attention to the douche bag and paid more attention to the feeling, that I now know to be Damon's presence, quickly approaching.

"I'm gonna have to take you down town for questioning." He finally finished, catching my attention at last.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I'm not going down town to answer questions. As you just informed me, my father died, from what looks like some strange animal attack. You have no reason, nor evidence to think I had any knowledge of this prior to you telling me just now. So, please, if you don't mind, I need to call family and arrange a funeral. I need time to mourn." I said and promptly dismissed the cop just as Damon came up the walk.

He walked right up to the cop, stared into his eyes, and compelled him to forget about any suspicions of me involved in my father's death, and we both stood on the porch and watched him slowly drive away.

"Thanks Damon." I said, turning to go into the house.

"How'd you know my name?" He asked, sounding completely taken by surprise.

"Oh, uh, you just look like a Damon." I lied terribly. I stepped over the threshold of the door into my house, grasping the lapis lazuli and, recently added vervain, necklace in my hand under my shirt.

"Can I come in?" He asked, trying to capture my eyes, trying to retain his original purpose.

"Nope. Thanks for helping with the cop and my dad though. I owe ya." I said and slammed the door right in his face, not waiting to hear his astonished remarks. I just got a second chance at life. I'm not going to fuck it up if I can help it.

"Audity please open the door." Damon said through the closed door.

"No! I know you're going to turn me into a vampire so you'll never have to be alone, I know what you want and you can't have me! I don't want to be involved with you and your freak friends!" I said, putting my hands over my ears in a very childish manner and running up to my room.

"Fuck." I said, realizing that I'd just told an unstable vampire that I knew what he and those he loved were. I was dead. Maybe permanently. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

About an hour went by before I heard the knocking on the front door again.

"Audity open up!" Damon screamed, pounding the door. I looked out the window and saw that he'd brought Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith with him. Fuck!

"Go away!" I screamed, locking my door and running to my closet, locking that too and falling to the floor, hugging my knees and Beda to my chest. I heard the door fall to the ground and footsteps coming up the stairs. I heard pounding on my bedroom door and then that being flung against the wall. Fuck someone must've let Damon and Stefan in. I didn't have a chance. That's when I saw the window above me. I jumped up, clutching Beda for dear life, and wrenched the ancient window open. I climbed out and hung to the edge, looking down at the long drop I would have if I were to fall. I inched my way along the house, clinging to the side of the house. I was trying to make it to the gutter so I could shimmy down and escape into the woods. That's when I saw Damon's enraged face peering at me through the open window.

"Come back!" He snarled, infuriated. Someone shoved him aside and a new face, Stefan's, appeared at the window.

"Please Audity come back, we just want to talk." He said, in that compelling voice. He was trying to compel me!

"No!" I screamed, getting distracted for a moment and loosing my footing. I stumbled, my feet falling out from under me as I clung to the roof for dear life. It'd rained, and the house was wet, and soon my fingers lost their grip and I fell two and a half stories to the cement below.

I heard a scream, and soon Damon was at my side. Everything was moving slowly, and my body was screaming in agony. I turned my head and realized I was still gripping Beda. I saw a pool of blood begin to reach my hands, and everything began to turn black. Something reached my mouth and I swallowed instinctively. Then everything went black.

I was dead.

Again.

Damnit.


	15. My Gift and My Curse

Chapter 14 My Gift and My Curse

I awoke. Again.

"Mother-" I began to yell when someone interrupted, saying "Your mother's been dead for years."

"No shit? Look it's captain obvious!" I said sarcastically. Jumping up out of Damon's bed and sauntering over to the door.

"You can't leave!" Someone protested as I walked out of the room and through the hall.

"Wanna bet?" I tossed over my shoulder, quickly descending the stairs and trying my hardest to get as far away from this freaking house as possible.

"But you're in transition! You're going to become a vampire!" The girl yelled, still trying to stop me.

"Which is why I'm leaving and going out to hunt to finish the transition." I called, disappearing out the front door and using my vampire speed to evacuate the premises as fast as possible. I made it into town, found a drunk girl, fed from her without killing this time, and finished my transition into being a vampire. For the second time.

I ran into the woods, to the old waterfalls. I stood at the top, and stared up into the sky that was full of thunder and lightening. Rain began to pelt my face.

"Fate has the funniest sense of humor!" I screamed into the sky, falling to the ground in an angry, hopeless sort of way. I got a second chance, and still became a vampire. Because of Damon. This really sucks.

I was still wearing my lapis lazuli necklace that'd been charmed by a witch to allow me to walk in the sunlight, so I wasn't forced to go back to those crazy people, thankfully. No distance from them will be far enough. I will not let Damon kill me again. I just won't.

"I'd agree with the Fate thing. But you're thoughts are a bit hurtful BlackBird." Damon's voice came from behind me, shocking me. I didn't feel his presence approach.

"Get out of my head. You're not welcome there." I spat, turning around and taking off. Halfway to my house he clotheslined me, causing me to fall to the ground and gasp for air, even though I didn't exactly _need _it.

"What the hell!" I called, rubbing my neck.

"We need to talk." He said, looking down at me.

"No, we really don't." I said, getting up and dusting myself off.

"How did you know about me and my friends and Saint Stefan?" He asked, jumping right into the interrogation.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I said, stepping away slowly from the vampire. I couldn't trust him anymore, and I wouldn't dare think of letting my guard down around him.

"Fine, if you won't tell me then at least come with me to the Boarding House so Stefan and I can help you. It's got to be tough going through this new life on your own, eh?" Damon asked, trying to play the part of the Southern Gentlemen that he used to be. But, I knew better. He wasn't that guy anymore.

"Thanks for that kind offer, Damon, but I'm doing just fine on my own. Although I tried to avoid this, I suppose fate was already set in motion. I'm going to wait until my father's funeral, get my huge inheritance, and travel the world. So, I can't be bothered with petty things like you and your friends drama." I said, turning in the opposite way and trying to get away from him. Why won't he leave me alone?

"Please, Audity…" He said, sounding quite defeated and very sad.

I paused, warring with myself. Ugh!

I turned around, staring at the man who looked quite young and vulnerable. He'd wanted to create me to have a partner in this very sad world. He wanted someone to bear his soul to without judgement. Someone to love him no matter what he did – to them or to others. The only problem with all that was; I don't want to be that person. I wanted to do what I wanted to do, be who I wanted to be, and have my own life. With Damon, that just couldn't be.

"I'm sorry Damon, I really am. And, believe me, I love you so much, but you have to learn to not treat others like they're on this earth to serve you. Because, hun, they're not. You have to learn to love your self and appreciate what you _have_ before you can get more. Until you can truly love another." I said, walking over to him and looking into his eyes. "If you're willing to better yourself, and you actually make those changes, then you can find me." I said, kissing him softly before turning around and disappearing, going back to my vacant home and closing the door.

I slumped to the floor and buried my face in my hands. This time around, I have a feeling it's going to be much harder.

I stood up, walked up the stairs, and fell onto my bed face down. "I just can't seem to catch a break." I mumbled into my sheets, reaching over for Beda. When my hand came up empty, I raised my head and looked around, realizing he wasn't there. "Oh no." I sat up on my knees and tore my blankets and sheets off, finding him nowhere. I ran to my closet, tearing it apart and not finding him there either. "Shit!" I ran down stairs and out the door, searching the yard and not finding him anywhere. I ran down the trail that leads to my house, still not seeing him. Where on earth…

"Oh no…. He's at the Boarding House. Shit!" That meant I had to go back there. Back to the people who got me killed. Back to Damon. "Shit."

A/N: This is dedicated to my ex-boyfriend, who is very much like Damon is in my story, compulsive liar, unable to treat people as any thing but ways to meet his personal gains. He needs to learn to be a better person, but he won't listen to anything anyone has to say. So I just have to hope that he'll decide to change his mind. So, this chapter is dedicated to him – to the mistake I made by knowing exactly who he was, and trying to make things work anyway. I, like Audity, got a second chance and still managed to die.

_Also, Damon, in this story, plays the role of 2 important guys in my life. So if he seems a tad bipolar, it's because, essentially, he is. ^_^_

_Hope y'all are liking it so far! Leave me lots of comments!_


	16. Always

Chapter 15 Always

I staked out the house, watching _them_, figuring out their patterns. The teens were not here, all at their own homes. Stefan stayed up in the attic by himself, seldom coming down, and Damon came and went as he pleased. Stefan and Damon were currently in the living room, having a heated argument over the little blue, black, and white "doll" that sat between them on the coffee table. It was Beda, my vampire eyes could spot him like a heat signature on a thermal camera in Antarctica.

I waited until it got dark before I made my move.

I was in all black – black skinnys, black knee high converse, and a black long sleeve shirt. They left the front door unlocked, not worried about invaders in the slightest. What did they have to worry about? They were 2 powerful vampires in a single house. Anyone stupid enough to invade would be in a world of hurt – unless they were stealthy.

I approached cautiously, knowing that they had left a little over an hour ago. I had seen Stefan and Elena leave, dressed in formal attire. I hadn't seen Damon, but I could use my speed to get in and out before he knew what hit him.

I slowly opened the door and crept inside, making sure no one was near when I used my vampire speed to rush in the living room. Damon was there, drinking some type of dark alcohol. I grabbed Beda and ran for the door, but Damon was older and faster than I, and slammed the door and tackled me to the ground. Damnit!

"I knew you'd come for this. What is it? Why is it so important?" He demanded, straddling me, trapping my arms underneath him.

"Get off me!" I growled, thrashing around and trying to get free.

"Nice try Black bird, but it's no use. I'm stronger than you." He said, smiling devilishly at me. "Now, answer my questions." He said, grabbing a handful of hair and pulling.

"It's Beda. He's mine, give him to me." I snarled, getting an arm free and throwing Damon across the room, grabbing Beda from him in the process.

"It's just a doll." He said, confusion all over his face.

"Given to me by my best friend who died a year ago. It's a voodoo doll of him. Happy now?" I asked, making a break for the door. He caught me.

"Will you please just stay and talk to me for awhile?" Damon asked, turning vulnerable again. I could never say no to him when he got like this. He pulled at my heartstrings and made it impossible for my good-natured caring side to turn him away.

"What do you want, Damon?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips and looking at him.

"Why do you hate me?" He asked sincerely.

"For reasons you'll never understand." I said, thinking back on the night on that beautiful island where I saw Damon, the man I love, after a little over a month. How I had ran to him, threw my arms around him, took in his smell, the feel of him. And the pain of him shoving a stake through my heart. The fear I felt as I fell to the ground and the whole world turned black.

"How have you been walking around in the sunlight?" He asked then, continuing his interrogation.

"Lapis Lazuli necklace charmed by a witch. Next question?" I asked, ready to get this shit over and done with so I could leave.

"What's so special about that?" Damon asked, pointing down to Beda.

"He's the most important thing I own. I've had him since I was four, made by my mother a year before she died. It looks exactly like my childhood friend. Next." I said, trying not to think about my mother or Charlie. Too many bad memories…

"Will you please stay here with Stefan and I? It was my blood that turned you, I feel responsible for you… I want to make sure you actually get a life… I want to keep you safe." Damon said, approaching me again and putting a hand on the side of my face.

"Sorry, but I'm safer on my own than with you." I spat, thinking again of the stake through my heart. He'll betray me. He can't be trusted.

"Please, Audity, there's this vampire, an Original named Klaus who will do anything to get back at me. I don't want him to hurt you. Please." He begged, extremely out of character for Damon. What the hell? Why do I even care?

"Sorry, no." I said and used my vampire speed to disappear from there, heading to my home. I saw smoke on the horizon, in the direction of my house. When I got there the whole place was ablaze.

"No!" I screamed, running through the front door and up to my room. It was not yet on fire, and I managed to grab my memory box and a duffel bag full of my things before the flames became too intense and I had to jump out the closet window, the same one I'd left as a human and fallen to my death through.

I stood back, my clothes singed, eyes burning, as I watched my home burn to the ground.

"I told you, Audity, he knows you're here." Damon said, standing behind me. He put his hand on my shoulder and I shrugged it off, not wanting him to touch me. It did strange things to my body, and I refused to fall into that trap again.

"Please, stay with Stefan and Damon." Elena said, standing with her vampire boyfriend. Why was everyone so damn concerned for me?

"I promise nothing bad will happen to you as long as you're in our home." Stefan said, giving me that honest gaze. I knew Stefan was a good soul. He hadn't always been, but I knew he was, at least for now.

"Fine." I growled. I was going to apply that age old saying "keep your friends close, your enemies closer." Hopefully I wasn't playing right in to a trap.


	17. Obsession

A/N: Hey all, yes, I know, it's odd for me to put one of these at the beginning. But I am, so cry me a river and build a bridge and all that. =] So, I figured I'd let you all in on the meaning to the chapter names. Most (not all, but the majority) are based off of songs that inspire me to write a new chapter. The title of the fanfic is actually the song Down by Jason Walker ft. some chick (I'm too lazy to look it up.) This chapter is called Obsession by Sky Ferreira, and this song is just so freakin' amazing I had to give it props and tell you all. So, while you're reading this chapter, listen to this song, dance around your room, and just sorta let loose. After all, that's what makes our lovely Damon so attractive… (Fan girl swoon) _Ahem, anyway… Yeah… I think that's all for now… ILOVEYOUALL! 3_

Chapter 16 Obsession

So, living in the Salvatore Boarding House was a little more than weird. The whole house reeked of sexual tension. Apparently the vampire that was threatening the town, this Original Vampire named Klaus, had gotten his claws into Stefan, you know, that super sweet vampire that was "good" in the last vampire life I lived in? Yeah, he was bad now, he turned his humanity off and doesn't care about anyone, but yet he still obviously loves Elena, you can see it in his eyes. Hell, this is the weirdest shit I've ever seen, everyone is totally ridiculous. So, Damon who's in love with Elena yet lusting after me, Elena who still loves Stefan but feels something for Damon, Stefan who's under compulsion of Klaus who still loves Elena but acts like he doesn't, and Me, girl who lived through an alternate version of all of this and may secretly love Damon, all are staying in the same house. This. Is. Fucking. Weird.

It's safe to say that leaving one's room immediately throws you into drama and chaos and confusion… Why me?

I've been here for 3 weeks, by the way. I got to watch the Klaus drama unfold, watch Stefan turn his humanity off and turn into this crazy person, realize Klaus has a sister named Rebekkah, and watch them all move to town and Stefan move back in.

Elena doesn't live here, she still lives in her home with Jeremy and Alaric Saltzman. They were all still a bit torn up over the death of their aunt and Alaric's love interest, Jenna.

This alternate reality shit is ridiculously confusing me.

I needed to clear my head. Seriously, all the initial confusion was bad enough, but I also had to deal with the constant danger we were being put in, and my feelings for Damon, and the ever growing knowledge that we wouldn't be able to stay away from each other for much longer…

I needed to revert back to the old me, the one that was free and listened to music all day and danced the night away… So I grabbed my iPod, one of the many gifts from Damon to make me feel more at home here, and plugged it into the speakers in the living room. I cranked up Sky Ferreira's Obsession and grabbed a bottle of Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade and began dancing around the room. I downed an entire case and was listening to I Want You by Placebo when Damon walked in, leaning against the doorway and watching drunk little me falling all over herself and singing, possibly terribly off key.

"Well, well, look at you little Blackbird." Damon said, making me actually acknowledge his presence. I'd felt his mind come in the door about ten minutes prior, and just really wanted to pretend like his existence didn't make me feel what it does.

"Shut up Damon." I said, my words slurring so it sounded more like "-ut up D-mn."

"Look who's drunk. How are you on your feet?" He joked, waltzing into the room and coming right up to me, taking a hand, then another, and holding them above my head.

"I'm not totally incapable of fighting you off, asshole." I said, my words ringing perfectly, a coldness in my voice.

"I knew you weren't _that_ drunk." He commented, his eyes fixed on mine. He walked forward, forcing me to back up all the way to the wall. He had me pinned between his body and the wall. His smell was intoxicating, his eyes were bright, and it was very difficult for me to keep a clear head. It didn't help that I was under the influence…

"Get off me Damon." I said, trying hard to focus. I was so very close to giving in to him. I wanted so badly to feel his lips on mine. I knew if he didn't put 10, maybe even 20 feet of distance between us I'd be all up on him within the next couple minutes. And I really didn't want a months work to go down the drain because I'd wanted to revert back to my old human ways and get drunk and dance. Well, getting drunk wasn't exactly a human trait I'd had back then…

"I'm not going anywhere." Damon whispered right in my ear, his breath on my neck giving me chills. I shivered in pleasure, I couldn't help it! I was completely vulnerable.

"Please, Damon, stop…" I whispered, so close to losing my resolve. I wanted him so bad, in so many ways…

"Why?" He asked, stepping back a bit and putting his hands on either side of my face, looking into my eyes.

"Because I want you too much." I admitted, closing my eyes, and turning my head away. Damn my intoxication!

"What's so bad about that?" He asked quietly.

I turned and looked at him then, stared into his eyes. "Because wanting you is to dangerous."

"I like a little danger." He replied, tracing my jaw line with his index finger.

"I don't want to want you." I said, closing my eyes again. I gave up. Fuck my self-control, I don't have any. He grabbed my face again and brought his lips down on mine before I realized what was happening. He pushed me against the wall again and entangled his fingers in my hair and the kiss deepened. At first I tried to fight it, but before I knew it my eyes were closed and I was responding with a kind of desire I'd never known before. Seriously, what the hell?

He trailed a hand down my body and ended at my thigh and picked it up and I hitched it around his waist as we got closer, the kiss deeper. My fingers entangled in his hair, and he picked me up as I wrapped both my legs around him. He moved with vampire speed out of the living room, up the stairs, and into his bedroom, laying me gently on the bed and kissing me again. I was intoxicated, not only from the case of Mike's, but by Damon's very presence in the room. He started to get up, feeling guilty, perhaps, for making such a move on me. He started to leave when I grabbed his wrist and turned him around.

"I want you to want me." I whispered before pulling him into me and kissing him, laying back down on the bed and brining him down with me. Maybe this could work…

Maybe this time I wouldn't die.


	18. As the Rush Comes

A/N: Hey sorry it's been like….. forever since I posted a new chapter. So hopefully you can forgive me and will enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 17 As the Rush Comes

The past week in Mystic Falls has been coat, scarf, and gloves cold. No snow, but it's definitely been cold. Granted, that doesn't matter to me, I can still wear my black skinnys, a gray tank top, and a black and white hoodie and be completely comfortable. But everyone else in Mystic Falls has been hiding out in their homes with the fires going in the fireplace and bundled up to go to school and work.

Stefan and Damon have grounded me to the house after they caught me draining a drunk man behind The Grill. I wasn't going to _kill_ him, I'm not heartless, but I was going to leave him unconscious. I was grounded because leaving a person unconscious in this weather is a no-no because he could get hypothermia. It's not _my _fault I don't think of the weather! But none the less I was confined to the house until further notice.

Now don't get me wrong, I've not actually listened to these rules and confinements, I'm much to antsy to stay cooped up in the house with nobody there to entertain me. Damon has been gone most the time because of Stefan and Klaus and Elena drama. We've managed to forget that night where I caved and gave into Damon. We haven't mentioned it and I don't plan on being the first to bring it up.

It's safe to say that during this drab week of "confinement" I've played many a video game, terrorized some citizens, and drank to the point where Damon has to carry me to my bed because I can no longer walk. It's been a _blast_.

Speak of the devil, Damon just walked in.

"Hey there sunshine, been up to no good I see." I say as Damon staggers through the door after an all night bender. "Things not go so well at Elena's last night?" I say, leaning against the wall as I watch him sulk up the stairs.

"Shut up Oddie." He calls before disappearing into his room and slamming the door. At least he's not too mad at me, he did use his nickname for me after all.

After picking on Damon I decided that being at home any longer today was going to kill me so I put on my converse, dawned a hoodie, and ran out the door before Damon could stop me. I didn't bother getting in my car, he'd be able to find me too easily, so instead I went on foot down the back roads, exploring Mystic Falls. I explored the Old Wood first. Since that last "lifetime" or whatever the hell it was I've been very weary of the Old Wood and felt it necessary to explore every inch looking for peculiarities. None today, but I remain paranoid all the same.

Next I go into town. It's still rainy and dreary so there isn't much going on but I'm still able to find a wandering nobody to feed off of and quench my thirst before I go adventuring some more. My next stop is the Falls. Since it's been raining for the past week or so straight they look like Niagara Falls on crack. Hmm…

A thought crosses my mind. If I'm a vampire, I don't have to breathe. If I don't have to breathe, I should be able to jump into the Falls and not have any problems what so ever.

I step to the edge of the Falls, look down at the raging water below, and step back a few feet to get a running start. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, then run for the edge. Right as I propel myself into the air something grabs me around the waist and brings me back to earth with a hard thump.

"Ow! What the hell?" I scream, jumping up and facing the person who halted my cliff diving.

"Are you stupid?" Damon asks, staring at me with those judgey eyes, drenched from the rain.

"It looks like fun." I say, staring at him as my hair sticks to my face from the rain, my eyes wide and innocent.

"You're not even supposed to be out of the house. Come on." He says, grabbing my arm as he begins to tow me back to the road.

"No!" I scream, throwing his arm off me and backing away from him.

"What is with you?" He asks, totally taken aback by my outburst. Everyone's guessed that I'm unhappy but I haven't given them anything to confirm or deny their thoughts. Now I have, I've finally let, at least Damon, know that I am extremely unhappy.

"I don't owe you any answers Damon. I'm just a prisoner in my own life, in my own house. I have to watch as all of you do your own thing while I'm stuck on the sidelines watching everything happen. I'm not living my life anymore! I want to see the world, do things I've never done before, experience things only I as a vampire can experience. And nobody understands that. And none of you want too." I say before turning around and disappearing.

I ran without knowing where I was running too. Eventually I found myself in the park in Town Square. Everyone was in their houses hiding from the cold rain the fell down like shards of ice. Maybe it was sleeting, I couldn't tell. No one was in sight. Then there was someone. Standing a few feet away from me was a decent enough looking man, he looked to be in his twenties or so with dirty blonde, maybe light brown hair? He had a square face and I couldn't tell what color eyes. He didn't look particularly intimidating but the air about this man seemed like something I should probably pay attention too. But I was still angry and upset and wasn't exactly on the top of my game today, so of course I didn't. If it weren't for my enhanced telepathy nothing would have tipped me off.

"Hello Love." He said in a somewhat british accent. It was his voice that alerted me to pay attention to the telepathy, the feel of his mind and aura so to speak. I didn't really pay attention to it much since becoming a vampire for the second time, it was just second nature and didn't affect my every day life too much.

"You're obviously not from around here." I reply, crossing my arms and getting in a slightly more defensive position. My small stature makes me faster than most, even those with vampire speed. It's like I have vampire speed on steroids! I'm not the best fighter, even with my extra strength and quick moves, but I can get the hell out of there if I need too. I'm much better at ambushing an enemy…

"Judging by your southern accent, I say you're not from around here either." He responded coyly, advancing on me. Even with this small talk, we were obviously sizing each other up.

"Correct, I was raised in Oklahoma, although you have to have a keen ear to hear my accent, it's almost nonexistent. I don't have that twang most people get from living there." I reply, backing up ever so slightly.

Then, he was directly in front of me. He's a vampire, no human can move at that speed.

"Who are you?" I asked, the look in his eye scaring the shit out of me. I was unable to move, unable to get away.

"My name is Klaus, and you should be very compliant if you don't want to die." He said, showing me a wooden stake and shoving it in my stomach, making me fall to the ground in agony.

I sent out a shout to Damon, hoping my telepathy was strong enough to reach him, and hoping he could understand my message. I hadn't tried using it since I got my second chance from the cosmic universe, or whatever. Klaus shoved the stake in deeper and I cried out, screaming for help before he snapped my neck and everything went black. Damn Originals!


	19. Somewhere to Hide

_A/N: Hey all, so so so so soooooooooooooooooo sorry for the extreme delay to this chapter! I've been consistently working on it for the past who knows how many months. I appreciate all of your reviews and encouragement!_

_Without further ado, here is chapter 18! Enjoy! ^_^_

Chapter 18 Somewhere to Hide

When I awoke I was laying on an overly stuffed couch, something you'd find in your grandmother's living room that you knew not to ever touch. Without opening my eyes, I knew I was somewhere I had never been before. The smell of freshly painted walls and recently renovated floors reached my nostrils. I heard someone nearby breathing softly, waiting for their prey to awaken. I estimated I had about five seconds of vampire speed to surprise my attacker before their fury reigned down upon me. I focused on the way the air felt, trying to detect where the slight draft was coming from. I could smell rain, and hear the thunder from outside, a window was open somewhere close. If I could just make it to that open window before the Original got me...

Should I run? Will I be fast enough? Should I risk it?

I had to remember that this man, Klaus, was a hybrid. He is the most powerful creature in existence; nothing I do will kill him. Do I really stand a chance of escaping?

The answer to that is no. I don't stand any chance of outrunning this Original bastard who'd abducted me. I decided it would be smart to pretend like I was waking up; my heart beat was beginning to pound with my fear of dying, and my breathing wasn't as rhythmic as a sleeping person. If he didn't already know I was awake, he'd notice soon.

I opened my eyes, groaning. I didn't have to fake the groan, I had a splitting headache from having my neck broken, and my stomach still hurt from being staked. I looked around the room for Klaus, turning all the way around to see him standing behind me, watching me.

Creepy, dude, very creepy.

"It seems the vampires around the Salvatore Brothers have vervain in their systems, making it impossible for me to compel you. It makes this more difficult than it needs to be. I have to use force, and hurt pretty girls like you to get them to do what I want. It's a pity, really." He went on, like I cared in the slightest.

"Here's a thought, creepy Original dude, why don't you _not_ hurt this pretty girl and just let me go? Saves you all that guilt." I said, being too coy for my own good.

"As long as I have you captured, and tortured, the Salvatore brothers will come running. I've wanted to kill Damon since I first met him, and using you as bait is the perfect way to get him here, vulnerable." Klaus ranted, ignoring my wittyness.

"You must have made a mistake Klaus. See, Damon and I hate each other. I accidentally became a vampire, and then they took it upon themselves to kidnap me and keep me hostage in their house because I was causing too big a commotion in the town. And Elena wouldn't let them just dispose of me, and you know that when Elena says something, they won't go against it. So you're crazy to think they'll do anything you want of them by kidnapping me." I said, trying to get him to let me go so I could get away from all of the people in this crazy town.

"Well that sure is a shame. I guess if you mean nothing to them then I'll have to dispose of you myself and take Elena instead." He said, coming around to trap me on the couch. I used my vampire speed to duck under his arms and run for the door, but he was older and faster, and blocked my way. "Don't make this difficult, Love, it'll just be more torture on yourself." He said as I turned and dashed up the stairs. I was prepared to throw myself through a freaking window if I had too, there was no way I was going to let him kill me.

_Damon, save me._ I cried out mentally, hoping to God or who ever may be watching that he could hear me.

Klaus was at the top of the stairs, and he back handed me and sent me falling down the ornate staircase, falling at an awkward angle. Thank goodness I'm not human, who knows what damage could've been done. I got up and tried to run again but to no avail, he was faster and stronger than I was. He appeared before the door, blocking my path, and before I could double back he put his hands on either side of my head and twisted, a sickening snap followed by darkness.

Once I, again, regained consciousness, I was dazed and confused.

"I don't suggest trying that again, Love." Klaus said, standing across the room, back to me. I smelled rather than saw the blood bag he opened, pouring blood into two crystal glasses. I wonder how old those glasses are…

"You didn't kill me." I said, this fact escaping my brain-missing awaken to consciousness. Now that I remember, I'm rather surprised I'm still alive… Well, as alive as a vampire can be.

"Contrary to your belief, at least one of the Salvatore brothers wants you alive, and you serve a higher purpose for me. Your death will bring me nothing." He said, turning around and walking over to me. When I saw the blood in his hands, I felt my face change. When he extended his hand I flinched away, my nerves on edge after having my neck broken, twice, and his slap sending me falling down an entire flight of stairs. "I'm not going to hit you love, just take the drink." He said, offering me the crystal glass again.

Normally, I wouldn't show such weakness to the likes of him, but having ones neck broken twice and a stake to the stomach drives one to desperateness. I felt my face change immediately, and snatched the glass away and downed it before I had a better mind not too.

Seeing my hunger, Klaus threw a blood bag my way and I ripped it open and drank the rest of it quickly, my body feeling better immediately.

"Now that you've fed, are you going to be corporative?" Klaus asked, looking dangerous again.

"Why don't you just use my idea, Brother?" A blonde asked, walking into the room. Klaus' demeanor changed immediately, sighing. When he spoke, he acted like he was talking to a young child. "Rebekah, I don't want to stoop to those levels quite yet. I hope that our guest will be corporative." Klaus said, turning away from Rebekah and back to me.

"I want you to be a good girl and sit on this couch until I tell you to get up. I'm going to leave you unharmed until your dashing Damon arrives to save you. If you make one move I will not hesitate to make this extremely unpleasant for you. Understood?" Klaus said, towering over me and making me retreat into the over plushed couch.

"I already told you, Damon won't be coming to save me. I don't mean anything to him, he only loves Elena!" I yelled, fear seeping into my bones at my extremely precarious situation.

"Then I guess we'll have to make this a little more interesting." Klaus said, attacking me and making my world go black once more.

I'm tired of being knocked unconscious!

This time it didn't last very long. I came too in the passenger seat of a car. I looked around bewildered, Klaus in the drivers seat. We were driving through the forest. I wasn't familiar with the area, and immediately began to panic.

I tried to move to open the door and cried out, my skin around my wrists and ankles burning.

"Don't try and escape Love, those ropes are soaked in vervain." Klaus said, not even bothering to look my way.

"Let me go!" I screamed, thrashing around and trying desperately to break free of the cursed bonds. Klaus slammed on the brakes and reached over, grasping my face in his hand and forcing me to look at him. With his other hand he tied another cloth around my mouth, making me gasp and tears run down my face. It was soaked in vervain, and it felt like I was breathing in razor blades. I moaned loudly in protest and pain, wishing he would stop this.

"Rebekah is letting Damon know that you're in danger. If he truly doesn't care for you like you say, then you'll be out of the way until I need you." Klaus said, pressing on the gas and continuing down the path into the dark forest.

After a few painful minutes we stopped in a clearing. Klaus got out of the car and opened my door, dragging me out by my bound hands. I cried out in protest but was too disoriented to ask or say anything.

I was terrified. It didn't seem like my telepathy worked in this life, Damon hadn't answered me. I don't think he'll come to save me anyway, I know he doesn't care about me anymore. This thought sent a different wave of pain through me, making me rock on my feet. My heart ached, and more tears streamed down my face.

As he led me across the clearing, I didn't really think. Once we were close to the middle, I noticed a huge mound of dirt and a hole that led into darkness. Next to the hole was a coffin.

My eyes grew wide as realization dawned on me. I thrashed around, trying my hardest to escape Klaus's clutches. I managed to escape his grip but quickly fell on my face in the wet grass. Rain was continuing to pour down, thunder ringing through the clearing as lightning illuminated the night, creating an eerie light to the morbid scene. Why hadn't I noticed the rain before?

Klaus kicked me in my side before pulling me off the ground and using vampire speed to get to the hole, throwing me into the coffin and slamming the lid shut. I began to panic, trying to open the lid with my shoulder, ignoring the burning pain biting into my wrists and ankles, breathing in the razors that poisoned my body. Tears continued to stream down in my desperation. I felt the world disappear from under me, and landed with a crash in the hole in the earth. I was being buried alive.

Oh, god, I'm going to die. I'm being buried alive!

_Damon, Damon please! He's BURYING ME! Please save me Damon, please! I'm so scared… _

I shouted in my head, continuing to slam my shoulder into the coffin, trying to escape, trying so desperately to escape. I heard the dirt start to hit the coffin, my coffin. He's actually burying me alive…

I felt the earth crush in around the one thing keeping me from being lost in the earth.

_Damon… It's dark, it's cold, I can feel the earth surrounding me. I'm so scared. Please help me…_

I'm not sure how long I've been down here. In the dark, under the earth, it's like time has ceased. Has it only been five minutes, or five hours? Five days? Five months? I looked down at my chest, my jacket and shirt ripped to reveal my pale skin in the dark. I wasn't mummifying yet, but my stomach, my veins, were screaming at me to feed. With this stupid vervain burning my skin and my throat, it made my lust for blood stronger to restore my body and hasten my healing. Breathing was impossible, I would gasp but nothing would fill my lungs. All the air was gone.

_Oddiy? _I heard. Did I really hear it, or did I imagine it? Am I hallucinating? _Oddiy please answer me! Where are you?_ The voice, again, in my head. Damon's voice?

_Damon?_ I called out tentatively. Even my mental voice sounded weak, starved, dying.

_Where are you Oddiy?_ He asked, something like panic in his voice. But Damon doesn't care about me; it's always Elena, always Elena… _Oddiy stay with me, where are you? _He asked again. This isn't real, it's just an illusion. He doesn't love me…

I closed my eyes, opening them to find instead of blackness, I was in the green clearing, looking around. I saw Damon, standing at the edge of the field, walking over to me.

"Oddiy, show me where you're at, I'm here to get you out." Damon said, his face full of anger and concern, maybe a little pain deep in his ice blue eyes.

"It's so dark Damon…" I whispered, not really paying attention. "Why didn't you save me?" I asked, looking into his eyes, tears streaming down my face.

"I'm here to save you now, Oddiy. Show me where in this field Klaus has you buried." He said, cupping my face in his hand. Tears were still streaming down my face; I could feel the earth crushing in around me in my prison. I turned around and walked to the middle of the field, looking closely at the earth. Something was threatening to take me away from the outside, back to the darkness and the crushing earth, cold and alone.

"Here." I said, turning around to see Damon right behind me. A tear fell down my cheek before I was drug back to the darkness, a sob erupting from me and shaking my body. I lost my nerve, breaking down completely. I was having trouble breathing, my natural claustrophobia from my human life amplified until I was about to explode, I had to get out in the open, breathe fresh air, feel Damon's arms around me, feed….

I heard something above, felt the earth start to lighten its hold on me. Soon the darkness turned to light and Damon's face so full of concern for me, appeared, making the world so much brighter.

He reached in and pulled me out, ripping the cloth off from around my mouth, then from around my wrists and ankles. Once I was free I wrapped my arms around Damon, and he held me tightly to him.

"I am so sorry Audity. I didn't hear you calling. I didn't believe Rebekah when she told me, I should have acted quicker…" Damon murmured, stroking my hair. "Let's get out of here, I think Klaus has some hybrids roaming around trying to find me." Damon said, picking me up and using vampire speed to get to his car. He put me in gently then got in himself, driving quickly away.

Soon we were at the Boarding House and Damon carried me in, I was too weak to walk on my own. Apparently I'd been in the ground for four days, and Klaus had staked me in the stomach again. I hadn't even noticed…

Damon laid me on the couch in the living room, pulled the stake out, then took me upstairs to his room.

"You're staying in here with me until we figure out what Klaus wants with you. I don't want to see you hurt." Damon said, brushing a piece of hair out of my face. He looked so…worried, for me.

"I need to feed, Damon." I whispered. Instead of getting up to get a blood bag, Damon laid my head on his lap. He bit his wrist and then laid it against my mouth, urging me to drink. I hesitantly opened my mouth, welcoming his blood into my system. As the blood surged through me, I grabbed his arm and held it tighter, strength returning. Damon continued to brush my hair as I drank deeply, inhaling his scent. I felt something tugging at my brain, but I couldn't focus on anything but the blood moving through my veins.

Finally, Damon stopped me, kissing me deeply before laying me on the bed and getting up to get us both a blood bag.

I can't believe I was buried alive underground for four days…

I turned over, a tear rolling down my cheek, as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.


	20. Running Up That Hill

_A/N: Hey all! Sorry the chapters aren't coming in as fast as I'd like. College has been kicking my butt! ^_^_

_Shout out to Catherine Connor who stayed up all night to read all the chapters. Your review couldn't have come at a better time: I was having an awful day, and your review made me feel so much better. Thank you to you and everyone else that reviewed, I read each and every one and every time I receive one I'm inspired to continue writing. This story is only continuing because of you, the readers, the silent and verbal. Thank you all so much for your kind words and comments. I Love You All! 3_

_Now, on for a very emotional chapter. *sniffles*_

Chapter 19 Running Up That Hill

The first few days after Damon rescued me were rough to say the least. I was going through the motions without really feeling what I was doing. I had nightmares and hallucinations of Klaus and being left alive under the ground, petrified, forever. And forever for a vampire is a very long time.

After the fourth day I managed to snap out of it. I took a shower, dressed in a black V-neck T-shirt, dark jeans with holes in them, my leather jacket, and my leather heel boots. I decided I was going to learn to fight and defend myself against people who could harm me. It's been about two weeks since the incident now, and I was getting stronger and more deadly every day.  
>I put in an order for this beautiful white gold ring in the shape of a skull with black diamonds in the eye sockets and on the band at the base of the skull the day I managed to start acting like myself again. I put the order in through a woman who was praised to make the best and most unique custom jewelry this side of the Appalachians. She called this morning, letting me know my ring was completed.<br>Damon has been worrying about me these past few weeks. He escorts me everywhere I go, sleeps with me even when I go somewhere else to sleep. I can see the concern in his eye, and I'm glad for his comfort, but I don't need pity love. I know he doesn't really care; I'm just here to give him comfort, someone to be open up too and listen. I can't do that for him when I'm in a catatonic state now can I? Of course he's worrying about me; if I'm not sane I'm not of use to him. He's driving me out to get the ring today. This will surely be a very long ride.

Damon:

Audity hasn't been herself since Klaus buried her. I was worried she would turn off her humanity - turn off the fear and the pain that came with being buried alive. She helped me discover a vampire trait I didn't know I had; mind reading and telepathy. I hadn't heard her calls at first, it took almost two days before I started to get a whisper of her calling out to me, screaming for help, in pain. It took me two days and a near death encounter with Klaus before I found her, saved her. She had been fifteen feet underground... He'd staked her who knows how many times, drained her of vervain, left her starving and under the ground.

When I brought her home she stayed in bed for almost a week straight. I found out during one of her nightmares I found out she was claustrophobic, terrified of elevators, and being buried alive. She had nightmares every night, and no matter how much I held her, comforted her, whispered calming words both out loud and straight to her head she wouldn't calm down. Eventually I just held her and made new dreams for her, happy dreams, trying to take her fear away any way I could.

After that initial few days she began to be herself again. I had briefly forgot why little Audity was in my life to begin with. She was here for me to talk to, open up to; a single person on this Earth I could trust with anything and everything. This whole screwed up mess with Elena made me take her for granted, toss her aside until I needed to take my frustrations out on something, the only thing that I knew I could. But Audity isn't a thing, she isn't another one of my play things: she's brave, beautiful, witty, cunning, and a survivor. She is the only woman I have ever met that I actually respected for the sole reason of respecting her. I had nothing to gain from using Audity, from abusing her the way I have. I owe her so much...

And, deep down, I know I love her. Not like the love I have for Elena, this is much more raw, more real, more... mutual. I have to make things up to her...

Audity:

"Hey Oddiy, ready to hit the road?" Damon asked, leaning against the door frame to our bedroom. Our bedroom... I share a bedroom with Damon Salvatore. Despite everything, I couldn't help but take a moment to look at the vampire. He wasn't the tallest guy, his manners were minimal at best. He drank all the time, could be a total prick, and used everyone for his own personal gain. But, despite all of his bad qualities, Damon was always there when you needed him to be. He doesn't think twice about putting his life down for someone he cares about, he can be sweet, and caring, not to mention he's the sexiest most beautiful creature on the face of the planet. He knew how to love, how to charm his way out of any situation; he had girls falling over him left and right, yet always came back to Our bedroom when the day was through.

"Yus." I said, feigning an upbeat attitude, doing a little skip-jump step so I was mere inches from the older vampires face. "Let's hit it Lust Boy." And just like that we were on the road, heading to the jewelry store two hundred miles away. We got there just before they closed.

"Hi, I have an order for Audity Burgess." I said to the petite jeweler behind the counter. She was just maybe five feet, if that, with curly red hair that just reached her shoulders. She had pale skin and the most shocking green eyes I'd ever seen, I had to wonder if she was wearing contacts, but I doubt it. She was Irish, came over with her family after their farm fell to ruins. She still had an accent.

"Here ya are Miss Audity. One of the best rings I've ever created." She said with pride, motioning for me to give her my hand. I gently placed my left hand in her tiny one and she put the pretty little piece of art on my ring finger. I looked down and the sheer complexities of it baffled me. She had made the band a stem, the skull sitting daintily on top of a black gold rose. The skull itself had black diamonds and sapphire in the eyes, much more complex than my original order.

"It's... It's beautiful Ma'am." I said, my breath taken aback by the beauty of it, my heart racing at the sight. "You really didn't have to go to such trouble." I said, looking down at the beaming women.

"Nonsense! You are a very special girl, Audity. A special girl deserves a special ring." She said mysteriously.

"How much?" I asked, remembering that this wasn't free. I had planned on compelling her to give it to me for free, but I couldn't do that to this little lady, she was much too precious.

"Original price." She said, shocking me. The original ring was only $1,300. This ring was worth at least triple that just for the work she put in.

"Ma'am, that can't be, this is worth so much more..." I said, feeling guilty for cheating this woman out of every dime she deserved.

"Oh no deary, the look on your face is enough compensation. If you really want to reward me, send whatever money you had planned on givin' to me to the Parkers. They live up the road a ways, their mum just died and she had six little bitties all by 'em selves. Their older sister is doing all she can - left Harvard to come take care of 'em so they didn't get sent to foster care. They can use all the help they can get." She said before taking my cash, giving me a warm, and surprisingly strong hug, and sending us on our way.

"Are you going to do it?" Damon asked after a few moments of silent walking. I was over come with the kindness of the Jeweler. She was selfless, wanting only to make others happy, giving her special talent and skill to people, creating works of art, sending her customers to unfortunate families with whatever pay she would have received for her extra work...

"Yes. I owe her. She's given me a new hope for the Human Race. If people like her exist in this world, maybe we all still have a fighting chance." I said before knocking on the door of a house that looked over run with weeds and children's toys. A young lady answered the door, looking bedraggled with huge bags under her eyes, still in her waitress uniform. She held a baby in her arms, a toddler hanging on to her shirt.

"Good evening miss, what can I do for you?" She asked with a big smile, despite her sore appearance.

"Hello Ma'am. I just got finished at Carol's Jewelers down the street. She sent me here." I said, and with that I handed her a check for $10,000. It was the least I could do for this girl. She was so friendly, so nice, willing to take time out of her hectic life to help a couple of strangers with kindness and a smile on her face despite what the world has done to her.

"Oh my! Miss, I can't accept this!" She said, distress in her voice.

I looked her in the eye, captured her gaze, and used my compulsion. "You will take this to the bank tomorrow, deposit it into your account, and take a day for yourself to just relax, enjoy being with your siblings, enjoy life. You won't ever have to worry about money again. Now go inside, take care of your brothers and sisters." I said, releasing her, giving her a big smile before she closed the door.

"Where will you get all that money?" Damon asked, giving me an odd look.

"What's the point of being a vampire if you can't live the good life?" I asked, giving him a wicked smile before pushing him down and running to the car, laughing, with a big smile on my face for the first time in what felt like forever. I could finally get over what happened to me, there were people in worse situations doing much better. I believe that good people will get good things, and if I need to use my hand to make sure that happens then so be it.


	21. In My Arms

_A/N: Hey all, sorry for the delay. If I thought my first semester in college was hard, the second semester is a freaking boulder! *lame joke* I hope everyone had a great Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Day (I missed 3 huge holidays…) Without further ado, here is Chapter 20!_

In My Arms

Two weeks. In the past two weeks, a lot of crazy stuff happened, most of which was unpredictable and had absolutely nothing to do with me, but very much to do with Damon. Damon and Elena drama. Stefan and Damon drama. Stefan and Elena drama. Klaus and everybody drama. Jeremy and Matt and Caroline and Bonnie and Tyler drama. Oh, and Rebekah. I've grown quite a disdain for that girl. She's very interested in Damon and, even though he and I aren't a "thing", I'm still jealous. I already have to compete with Elena, now I have an annoying blonde cheerleader, who just happens to be an Original Vampire, to compete with as well. This sucks.

Anyway. ..

There was a noise down stairs. I got up from my inner musings, immediately being alerted by the sound of broken glass and very faint footsteps. No one was supposed to be home for another few hours.

I got up from my comfortable chair in the study, quietly laying my book down before peering around the door frame, examining the seemingly empty hallway before making my way towards the living room. I found the shattered window but no intruder. I searched the rest of the house diligently before concluding nobody was laying in wait and nothing had been stolen. They must have heard me gasp when I heard the breaking glass and ran off. As they should, I would totally beat the shit out of some low life vampire or werewolf.

Damon burst through the door shortly after, rushing up to me and gripping my shoulders and looking me over.

"Damon what's wrong?" I asked, totally confused as he wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

"I thought they had got you." He said, kissing the top of my head before running his hands through my hair. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him back, taking comfort in this simple embrace.

"I'm okay Damon, no need to worry. Who's trying to get me?" I asked, trying to calm him while trying to get the information I needed out of him.

"Rebekah. She's after all of us, trying to get back at us for killing her brother. I thought she'd come after you first." He said, stepping back enough to caress my face and kiss me. I kissed back with enough enthusiasm to distract him, but pondering a way to get everyone out of this mess they created for themselves. Why is it they felt the need to piss off all the Originals? They were only alive because it gave them a game to play, but now…

"We need to get out of here Damon. We need to leave this town and everything and everyone behind. I know Elena won't leave, but she has too. If she won't you have to cut your losses. Staying here will get you killed, do you understand Damon?" I said, trying to make my words as persuasive as possible. I had a feeling we only had, at most, two days before we were both killed. And for what? Some girl who was too stubborn to leave a town? It's just a town. You can find an equally small, equally fucked up one, I promise, I've been to some.

"She'll never leave…" Damon said, staring off over my right shoulder. I grabbed each side of his face and forced him to look at me.

"Then we have to, Damon. Let her go, you know she just doesn't want to lose you. You know, you see, you've been in her dreams, her mind, you know how she feels for you. Please, leave with me. I… I can't stand the thought of you dying, Damon. I love you." I said, tears beginning to well up in my eyes. I had to force myself to ignore the gut wrenching thought of Damon dying.

He looked at me, those ice blue eyes searching mine for something I wasn't entirely sure of. I saw the answer before he said it.

"Let's go."


End file.
